Control
by Cristi0819
Summary: My first AU story.  Steph is a social worker at the Trenton VA.  Cal is a patient.  She helps Cal with treatment and sparks fly with Ranger.  Please read and review!
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: The primary characters in this story belong to Janet Evanovich. I make no money for this work.

A/N: This will be a multi-chapter AU story. It will be a realistic look at the problems that plague veterans, particularly newly discharged veterans, and the VA system. As always, it is a Babe story. Joe will probably not be featured at all. I'm hoping to post at least weekly. I hope you enjoy it.

Chapter 1

I was late again. My boss hates me and he makes it his business to hang around in the area of my office until I show up. I jumped out of my car and took off running for the building. Several vets were outside smoking and waved and called out greetings.

One, whom I had known for several years said "I saw you drive in on two wheels so I had Oscar go and hold the elevator for you." I smiled at the man in the wheelchair and said, "You're the best, Isaac." He grinned back and said, "Anything for you Ms. Plum." I ran for the elevator and thanked Oscar as well. Thank God I had worn tennis shoes today.

I finally made it to the acute psych unit and went through the first set of locked doors and entered a hallway of several offices. Mine was the second on the right marked "Unit Social Worker." As I approached the office, I noticed that my door was open and my boss was sitting in my chair. Stepping in, I took a deep breath and said "Good Morning Derek. Happy Monday."

He glared up at me and said, "Stephanie. I was beginning to think you weren't going to come in to work at all. You're 20 minutes late. Again. Would you care to explain why it is so impossible for you to make it to work on time?" I took another deep breath to keep from choking the little hobbit and said, "Well, it could be exhaustion from the 20 extra hours I worked without pay last week, or the outreach event I organized and worked yesterday."

Derek's nostrils flared and he retorted, "Regardless of your extra duties, you are expected to be at work at 8:00 sharp. One more incident of tardiness and you will receive an official letter in your personnel file indicating disciplinary action."

With that ominous statement, the hobbit stood up and vacated my office, shutting the door behind him. I sank down into my chair, my elbows on the desk and my head in my hands. Why did this asshole have it in for me? Before I could follow that question to it's obvious answer, there was a soft knock on my door.

My friend Cheryl, the unit RN, stepped inside and said, "Is Mighty Mouse giving you trouble again?" I laughed at our nickname for Derek, who was all of 5'2. "Yeah, he was waiting for me when I came in." Cheryl opened her mouth to launch into a diatribe against Derek and I cut her off. "Forget about it, Cheryl. What have we got today?"

Cheryl handed me a file. "Only one new admission. Cal Roberts. Dr. White wants to meet with him as a team this afternoon."

"Good. That will give me time to look over his history and meet with him first." I said. Cheryl stepped out and I started looking through the file. Mr. Roberts was 30 years old and had never been treated in the VA system before now. He was a Navy SEAL and had been discharged about 18 months prior. He had quite a list of honors and metals and had done two tours in Afghanistan and three in Iraq. He now works as some type of security expert for a company called RangeMan, LLC. He was apparently involved in apprehending an intruder and the incident triggered memories of something that had happened while he was in the military.

After the incident at work, Mr. Roberts began experiencing classic PTSD symptoms: lack of sleep, loss of appetite, extreme anxiety, hyperawareness, etc. His employer had apparently convinced him to seek treatment.

I logged into my computer and checked my email. I also logged into the electronic record to check out how Mr. Roberts had been doing since he was admitted on Saturday night. His picture popped up and he appeared to have a huge tattoo of a flaming skull on his head. Like a lot of OEF/OIF*** veterans, he looked very intense. Not someone you would want to meet in a dark alley.

Looking through the nurse's notes, I saw that Mr. Roberts had not been a behavior problem over the weekend. Instead, he had completely isolated himself from his peers, remaining in his room except for meal times. He was also only eating about 25% of his meals. Hospital food is certainly not the best in the world, but this is a big guy and he would lose too much weight and muscle mass eating that light. I made a note to have the dietician do a consult with him as well.

I looked through the records to check on how my other patients had done through the weekend. There were no major problems, so I got my things together and went to the unit to meet Mr. Roberts.

I used my key card to step through the second set of locked doors and waved at the nursing staff as I made my way to Mr. Roberts' room. I stopped on the way to speak with several veterans and listen to complaints and concerns.

I approached Mr. Roberts' room and was surprised to find Willie, one of the PSA's, sitting in a chair outside his door. "Hey, Willie, is he on one-to-one?" *** I asked.

"No, he's just very jumpy and he's such a big guy that we were afraid there would be trouble if one of the other patients wandered into his room by accident. I'll go in with you, Steph."

I shook my head and said, "No, that's okay. We'll be fine." Willie looked doubtful, but said, "I'll be right here. Yell if you need anything." I nodded and knocked on the door. I cracked the door opened and called, "Mr. Roberts?"

I stepped in and looked around. It was a private room and very typical of an acute unit. The room had been stripped of any material or furnishings that could be harmful to the veteran or staff. There was no glass or mirrors. No curtains that could be used as a hanging device, no ceiling tiles that could be removed, no sharp edges on the furniture, no lamps or heavy framed pictures on the walls. Also, there was no door to the bathroom. Instead, there was a special, lightweight vinyl curtain that was incapable of holding any weight.

I called "Mr. Roberts?" again and he stepped from behind the bathroom curtain and stood and stared at me. Geez, he's huge. He is about 6'5 and very broad. He was lightly tanned with brown eyes and a bald head. The flaming skull tattoo was brightly colored and extremely prominent. He was barefoot and wearing green hospital scrubs. He looked scary as hell, but I made myself smile and said, "Mr. Roberts, my name is Stephanie Plum and I'll be your social worker while you're here." I reached out to shake his hand and he stared at me for a long moment before he took my hand and shook it gently.

"Can we sit down and talk for a few minutes?" I asked. He gave me a brief nod and sat on the edge of his bed, leaving the only chair in the room for me. "Mr. Roberts, as I said before, I'll be your social worker while you are here. Part of my job is to meet with you a complete what's called a Psychosocial Assessment. This assessment helps your treatment team look at your particular circumstances and determine the best course of action for your treatment. However, the best information comes from you. You are the most important part of your treatment. We will complete your treatment plan with you and the final course of action is always up to you. We meet with you to provide you with options and to discuss those options and answer any questions you may have. Before we go any further, do you have any questions so far?"

He lowered his head and seemed to be lost in thought for a moment before he looked up and said, "Do I have to stay here?" I gave him a small smile and said, "No, you're not a prisoner and you're not under an Order of Commitment. You do not have to stay. However, we may be able to help you if you do choose to stay. I know it's hard to be here. Everything is taken away from you and you're behind locked doors. The doors are necessary for the patients who wander or are a danger to themselves or others. We do want to help you and I believe we can."

Mr. Roberts gave a brief nod and said, "My boss thinks this will be helpful, but it's making me awful jumpy to be locked in here. I can't see what's going on around me and I can't stand that."

I nodded and said, "That's certainly understandable. I wouldn't like it either. It's sort of like driving through a dark tunnel and seeing things fly by you, but you can't make out who or what those things are."

He looked up at me then and said, "Exactly. I feel out of control. With the type of work I do, that's unacceptable. I could end up hurting someone if I'm out of control."

"Is that why your employer convinced you to check yourself in, he was afraid you would hurt yourself or someone else?"

Mr. Roberts nodded and said, "Yeah, that's part of it. But we all live in the same building, so there's no hiding what's going on. They see that I'm not sleeping or eating like I usually do." I nodded and said, "That's part of what I'm here to talk about, the situation that caused you to admit yourself to the hospital. First, though, your treatment team meeting is scheduled for this afternoon. Is there anyone you would like me to ask to come, maybe a friend or family member?"

He shook his head and said, "No, I would rather my family not know that I'm here. My boss could come, though." I nodded and looked down at his file again, "Is that the person you listed as next of kin, a Carlos Manoso?"

He nodded and I assured him that I would call Mr. Manoso and invite him to the meeting.

"Mr. Roberts…" He interrupted to say, "Please call me Cal." I nodded and we proceeded to go through his history, from childhood to the military. He had not had any major problems until about 6 months before his discharge. He was in Iraq and his SEAL team was assisting in capturing a high value target in Baghdad. The intelligence was faulty and the team was caught by a roadside bomb. The bomb killed two members of his five-member team instantly. A third was badly wounded and he had walked two miles with that team member on his back, only to find that he was dead when they arrived at a medical unit.

At the end of the story, Cal said, "If I had moved faster, if I had had the sense to spot that bomb, my team wouldn't have been decimated. I live with that everyday." Cal went on to explain what had happened at work to trigger the memories and symptoms. "The company I work for provides security to private and corporate clients. We also apprehend local, state and federal fugitives. One of the guys we were after had spotted a tail when one of the guys was following him. He didn't know who it was, but set a bomb at his front door. When we went to the door to pick the lock, the bomb exploded. It wasn't a very big bomb and no one was injured, but I heard the loud sound and all I could see was what had happened in Iraq. I freaked out. I grabbed my partner and threw him over my shoulder and took off running. I didn't stop for two miles. He was screaming the entire time for me to put him down. I thought he was injured. I was trying to get him to safety. Some of the guys must have understood what was happening, because they cut me off with a vehicle and the boss came towards me with his hands held in the air in front of him. I remember seeing his lips move, but I couldn't tell you what he was saying. I noticed him nod at someone and the next thing I knew, I was out for the count. He had the company medic give me a sedative from behind."

He took a deep breath and I waited patiently for him to continue. "That was about three weeks ago. Since that night, I can't settle down. I can't sleep. I can't eat. I pace all night. Any loud noises startle me. The boss pulled me off of field duty and I've been watching monitors and taking care of the cars. It's quieter that way, but with the amount of men we've got in the building, something is always going on. There are always loud noises and people coming and going at all hours. I don't know what else to do."

I offered him a smile and said, "What you've just explained sounds like classic Post Traumatic Stress Disorder symptoms." Cal looked alarmed and I held up my hand to stop him. "Don't be alarmed by the medical term. This is very common in combat veterans, particularly within the first few years after discharge. It is terrifying mostly because of the loss of control, but you can get past it. You can learn to control your reactions and feel like yourself again."

Cal looked hopeful for a moment, but then said, "I don't understand why this didn't happen why I was still in Iraq. Why now?"

I explained, "You didn't notice a difference in Iraq because in combat situations you're supposed to be hyper-alert and hyper-aware. During a long tour of duty it becomes normal to you. Some experts believe that PTSD is the body and minds way of returning to the state you were in while in combat. While it certainly feels like a loss of control to you, it's a defense mechanism that is activated when you feel threatened."

We sat there for a few minutes and I waited him out. Finally, he said, "What can you do to help me?" As scary as this man looked, he was clearly terrified about what he was going through. I felt a surge of sympathy for him and said, "Well, there are several options, though first, the psychiatrist, Dr. White, will probably want to put you on medication." He looked ready to argue and I continued, "The medication does not have to be long term, but it will help you start sleeping again and feel a little more in control, so that other options can be explored as well. Don't worry, we'll go over all of this at your treatment team meeting this afternoon." He nodded and I said, "Unless you've got any more questions, I'll let you get some rest. I'll contact Mr. Manoso to invite him to the meeting."

Cal stood and walked to the door with me, "Thank you, Ms. Plum." I smiled and shook his hand again and said, "Call me Steph. I'll see you in a few hours."

I walked back to my office and got ready to type up his assessment. I pulled out his next of kin information and called his employer. I sat and played with my curly hair while waiting on him to answer.

"Yo."

A/N: I've listed a few definitions below, just for clarity. Please read and review.

OEF/OIF – Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. This is how veteran's who fight in each war are classified.

One-to-one – One staff member per patient. In psychiatric units, a patient is put on one-to-one if they are deemed to be a danger to themselves or others.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: The primary characters in this story belong to Janet Evanovich. I make no money for this work.

A/N: Thank you all so much for the reviews for the first chapter. I hope you like this update as well. I neglected to thank FairTaxGirl and Margaret Fowler for reviewing this story for me. You're both the best! Chapter 2

"Mr. Manoso?" I asked. Who the hell answered the phone with "yo?"

"Who is this?" He asked. He had a deep voice with the faint hint of an accent. "My name is Stephanie Plum and I'm calling from the Trenton VA. You're listed as next of kin for Mr. Cal Roberts. Is that correct?"

He answered, "Yes, is he ok?" I replied, "Yes, he's fine considering the circumstances. We have his treatment team meeting scheduled for this afternoon at 3:00 and he requested that you attend if possible."

In return I got a brief, "I'll be there" and then I heard a dial tone. What the hell? The shit hung up on me! I hate it when people hang up on me! Before I could remember that I was at work and not at home, I hit redial. Again, I got the "Yo."

"Mr. Manoso, was there a problem?" I asked.

"Ms. Plum? No, no problem. Why?"

"Well, I thought you must have accidentally hit the disconnect button with your chin, since you hung up on me."

I could hear a smile in his voice as he replied, "My apologies, Ms. Plum. I'm accustomed to working with less than stellar characters." Then the bastard did it again!

I'm not calling him again! I am a professional and I will act as such, even if it kills me. Asshole.

Ranger's POV

I couldn't help but laugh at the social worker calling me out for hanging up on her. My own mother hates my phone manners, too. I actually try to refrain from hanging up on my family, but it's a hard habit to break. I don't get that many calls that are not business related.

I was glad Cal wanted me to attend the treatment team meeting, whatever that meant. He did not want to go to the VA at all and I had to threaten his job to get him there. Cal's a good man and a good employee and I don't want to see this spiral out of control. I know all to well how easy it is for that to happen. Hopefully the VA could help him feel some measure of control again.

I finished out my day and headed to the Trenton VA. As per policy, I checked my weapons with the VA Police and continued on to the unit. The nursing staff allowed me to go wait with Cal until it was time for his meeting to begin. We sat in his room and stared around at nothing, both of us uncomfortable with the situation. Finally, I said, "The guys would like to come visit you if you're agreeable."

Cal thought for a minute and said, "Not right now. I'd rather them not see me like this again. When I'm feeling more like myself, I'll let you know and they can come."

I nodded. I thought the guys coming by would be good for him, but I wouldn't push it. I was about to ask him another question when there was a soft knock at the door. Cal flew out of the bed and went to the corner of the room, keeping his back to the wall. This had become a regular occurrence over the past few weeks. "Easy, Cal. Who is it?" I called out.

A soft female voice replied, "It's Stephanie, Cal. Can I come in?" Cal nodded and called out to her and moved slowly back over to the bed. The door opened and in walked a pretty brunette, with curly hair and bright blue eyes. She had beautiful, clear luminous skin and a great smile. She was kind of bouncy, as if she never sat still. She came all the way into the room and spoke to Cal, then turned to me. She smiled and held out her hand and I found myself smiling back at her. I don't smile and often I don't consent to a handshake, but I did both with her. Her hand was soft and cool. My eyes went to her name badge and I saw Stephanie Plum written next to a picture of her. Shit, she's the one I hung up on.

Stephanie's POV

I got through Cal's assessment and went to see several other patients and returned my voice mail messages from the weekend. Why do people call my office over the weekend when they know I'm not here?

Before I knew it, it was 3:00 and time for treatment team. The only veteran we were meeting with today was Cal, so I went back to the unit to get him. I knocked and heard him call "Come in" before I stepped inside.

Cal was standing and looked a little twitchy. The knock must have startled him. Standing with him was the most beautiful man I have ever seen. He was Hispanic and about 6'0 with long black hair pulled into a ponytail and extremely dark brown eyes that looked almost black. He was dressed all in black as if he was a SWAT commander and he was friggin built. Built as in the shirt was about to rip to pieces built.

I felt myself about to trip over my feet, righted myself and stood tall, forcing myself to walk over to him, smile and extend my hand. His hand was large and warm. I caught a faint whiff of his cologne and thought it smelled just like he looked, yummy.

I saw his eyes drop to my name badge and then back to my eyes quickly. I hid my smile and said, "Mr. Manoso?" He gave me a nod and I continued, "Just so you know, I'm signing you up for a course on telephone etiquette." He grinned at me. I thought I would be blind for life when I saw that grin. He looked simultaneously like the cat that ate the canary and sex walking. Damn, I may not make it through this meeting without jumping him. It's been a while since I jumped _anything._

Behind us, Cal said, "Is it time for the meeting?" I nodded, got my mind on the right track and said, "If you'll both come with me, I'll take you to the conference room. We walked together through to the first double doors. I stopped to let the nurses know that Cal was with me and we would be off unit for the meeting. We went to the conference room between the two sets of double doors. As we entered, I introduced Cal and Mr. Manoso to Dr. White and Cheryl.

Cal and Mr. Manoso nodded to the other two staff members. I could see Dr. White blanch a little as he took in Cal's tattoo. Cheryl is always great with the veterans, but Dr. White struggles with them. He's a nice man and he's very good with medication, but he's one of those doctors that should have gone into research. He's just not good with people. He's a short, wiry man that is often intimidated by our vets. Some of them are quite aggressive and agitated when they are admitted and he can't handle that.

We all sat down and I looked to Dr. White to begin. Since he couldn't stop staring at Cal's tattoo and looked equally terrified by the boss, I began my usual explanation of how a treatment plan worked.

"Cal, what we're here to do is establish what will happen while you're in the hospital. Part of that is to look at what we need to work on. Obviously, you're having trouble with anxiety and not sleeping or eating. Is there anything else that you feel we should work on?"

In that moment, Cal looked like he would rather be anywhere but in this small room with us. He looked absolutely terrified. Furthermore, it didn't seem like he was able to speak. I tried to help him out by prompting him with questions. "Do you feel like you have some depression as well? Anxiety can also be a sub-symptom of depression and lack of sleep and appetite certainly go along with depression, too."

Cal still looked uncomfortable, but eventually said, "I could be a little depressed." I nodded and again looked to Dr. White to take over, but he remained sitting there like a tiny gray-haired statue. I looked to Cheryl, but she gave me a look that said she didn't know what was going on either.

"Okay, what we need to do now is establish interventions that will help you cope with the depression and anxiety. Our primary responsibility here is to help stabilize your symptoms. However, the secondary purpose is to help you learn to cope with the symptoms that might remain. The best thing we can do for you is to give you the tools to help yourself. When we talked earlier today, I mentioned that sometimes medication is helpful in the early stages. Is that something you're willing to consider?"

This time Cal spoke more forcefully. "I'm willing to consider medication for a short time, but not long-term. In the work that I do, I have to be alert at all times. Plus, I've seen too many veterans end up on medicine for the rest of their lives. I don't want that to be me."

I nodded and said, "That's certainly understandable."

Cal asked, "What type of medication would I take?"

I looked to Dr. White. He again did not speak. Geez, he must be on something today. I can't answer this question for him. I'm a social worker not a doctor. We're able to give education to patients about medication compliance, but I can't order medicine for him or give a recommendation about what will work best for him. I needed to snap the doctor out of whatever the hell is wrong with him.

"Dr. White, I just remembered a situation that came up right before we came in the room. Would you mind stepping outside with me for just a minute?" He nodded and stood. I said, "We'll just be a minute. Cheryl will go over your blood work and physical exam results with you while we're gone."

I escorted Dr. White across the hall to my office and shut the door. "Dr. White, I don't know what's going on, but you've got to snap out of it. You're leaving that patient in there hanging, waiting for a recommendation from his _doctor_."

The little doctor hung his head and said, "You're right. I apologize for embarrassing the team. I was reprimanded this morning because a patient complained that I was 'inaccessible.' What does that mean? I see my patients' everyday. I'm not rude or belligerent with them like so many other doctors."

I was surprised that he was reprimanded. The VA was always so hard up for doctors that they usually had to cut off the wrong limb to get a reprimand. I knew he wasn't well liked because he wasn't very social, but overall he's a good guy and a good doctor. "I'm sorry that happened. I didn't know. I think the patient probably meant that you aren't very easy to relate with. I know you don't mean to be, but sometimes you seem very distant with the patients. That makes them think that they can't be honest with you or open up to you."

He still looked a little shell-shocked. "Do they really think that about me? I have a lot of respect for these men and women and it hurts me to think that I haven't treated them as if I respected them."

"Dr. White, this is something that you can work on. Cheryl and I would be glad to help. We would like to keep you around. You don't try to boss us around like some of the other doctors and you are a nice guy. You can start by walking back into treatment team and explaining medication options to this veteran."

Thankfully, he nodded and led the way back into the conference room. In his enthusiasm to be more "approachable," he went into a lengthy explanation of psychiatric medications and even my eyes were crossing by the time Cal finally had a prescription for Ativan and Zoloft. The Zoloft would help with depression, sleep and appetite and the Ativan would help reign in his hyper-alert nervous system, as well as help him rest.

Finally concluding the meeting, I explained what would happen next. "Cal, we'll give the medication a few days to begin working and meet again on Wednesday. When we meet then, we'll discuss options for when you leave this unit. Mr. Manoso, you're welcome to come to that meeting as well." He nodded and said, "Thank you for the work you do. This is a very different VA from 20 years ago. I'm very impressed. My workforce is made up mostly of veterans and we've all heard the VA horror stories from the old-timers. I'm very glad that has changed."

"Thank you for saying that. We all work hard to make sure it has changed. Did either of you have any questions?" They both shook their heads. I allowed them a few minutes alone before Mr. Manoso left and I escorted Cal back to his room. "I hope you have a better nights sleep tonight. I'll see you in the morning." He thanked me again and I went back to my office to work for 2 more hours, before I finally reached a stopping point.

I gathered my things and headed downstairs. I was about 30 feet from my car when I realized there were two men standing next to it. One was clearly Derek, my Mighty Mouse boss and the other was the reason Mighty Mouse was giving me shit lately. The other man was Michael, Derek's best friend and my ex. Damn, this day just keeps getting better.

A/N: Please read and review. Thank you to everyone who reviewed, as well as everyone who added this story to their alerts. As much as I love to get alert notices, I'm sure I can speak for the majority of authors here when I say, please also leave a review!


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: The primary characters in this story belong to Janet Evanovich. I make no money for this work.

A/N: Thank you all so much for the reviews for the first chapter. I hope you like this update as well. This chapter gives some back story for Stephanie. Thanks to FairTaxGirl and Margaret Fowler for reviewing this for me.

_Previously:_

_I was about 30 feet from my car when I realized there were two men standing next to it. One was clearly Derek, my Mighty Mouse boss and the other was the reason Mighty Mouse was giving me shit lately. The other man was Michael, Derek's best friend and my ex. Damn, this day just keeps getting better._

Control, Chapter 3

I slowed and debated whether or not to act like I hadn't seen them and just head back inside. It's been a long day and I don't have the energy for this shit right now. I figured if I went inside, they would just follow me, so I trudged along to meet my doom.

As I walked up to my car, Derek sneered and said, "Stephanie, it's 7:00. Why are you still here?" I bit back my smartass remark and said instead, "I wanted to stay caught up with my paperwork."

Derek replied, "As long as you remember that overtime has to be pre-approved." Michael finally decided to speak up and said, "Steph, I've been trying to get in touch with you for a week. I've left messages on your home phone and your cell phone. I even called your parents' house this weekend."

I cleared my throat and said, "Yes, I got your messages."

His face turned a little red and he said, "Why didn't you call me back then?"

"I didn't call you back because I made it very clear that I don't want to talk to you again." I didn't want to do this here. All I wanted was to get in my car, drive home, grab a beer and soak in a bubble bath for two hours. Why won't he get the hint and stay the hell away from me?

I moved to get in my car and Michael grabbed my wrist. "You can't avoid me forever, Steph. We need to talk." I tried to wrench my wrist from his hand and he held on tighter. "You're not going to get away that easy." He was turning redder by the minute. I had never been afraid of him before, but I started to feel a little prickle of fear. Derek certainly wasn't going to be of any help. There were several veterans still sitting outside the building and one of them would surely hear me and come help if I yelled. I was about to start screaming when I heard, "Ms. Plum, I'm glad I caught you. I had a few more questions after the meeting today."

Michael released my wrist and we all turned to look. It was Mr. Manoso, Cal's boss. I had never been so happy to see someone in all my life. I tried to keep my voice from shaking and said, "Certainly. We can talk right now." I turned to Derek and Michael and said, "We'll have to continue this at another time."

Michael leaned close to me and said, "Yes, we will continue this," before they both walked away.

I leaned against my car and took deep breaths, trying to calm myself down. When I looked up, Mr. Manoso was standing in front of me. "Are you okay?" he asked. I nodded and said, "Thanks for the rescue. I was about to panic."

He nodded and said, "That's understandable. Why don't you let me buy you a cup of coffee? I don't think you need to drive right now."

I mustered up a smile for him and said, "Thanks, but I don't want to put you out."

"You're not putting me out. I know a great place right around the corner."

"Then that would be great. Thanks." He led me to his car, which turned out to be a friggin Porsche 911 Turbo. "Wow, the security business must be booming," I said.

He gave a slight nod and said, "Yeah, the bad economy actually works in our favor." He opened the passenger door for me and walked around to the driver's side. Damn, but that is one fine man. His walk was even a thing of beauty.

He got in and drove us about a mile away to a little café. We both ordered coffee and I also got a chocolate pastry. Chocolate is good for the soul. We sat at a small table and were both quiet for a while before he said, "Has that guy given you trouble before today?"

I sighed and said, "He's my ex-boyfriend and he doesn't like the 'ex' part. He's been calling me non-stop, but he's never pulled anything like this before."

Mr. Manoso thought for a minute before saying, "I know it's really none of my business, but keeping people safe is what I do for a living. He looked out of control. Is there anything I can do to help?"

Damn, I had to stop the drool from leaking off my chocolate pastry. This incredibly hot guy also seems to be a caring, nice man. I wouldn't have imagined that. "Mr. Manoso, I appreciate the offer, but I'm really hoping this will go away on it's on. He doesn't have a long attention span."

He took a sip of his coffee and said, "First of all, please call me 'Ranger.' Secondly, I know I don't know this guy as well as you do, but he didn't look like he was going to get the hint anytime soon. Next time he may catch you somewhere that you're really alone."

I thought about this and said, "I understand what you're saying, but I don't know what you could possibly do to help."

He leaned forward and said, "Ms. Plum, I can take a look at your security at home. I could also have a talk with him if you'd like."

I tried to smile and said, "Please call me Stephanie. Thanks for the offer, but I really can't afford a security system, but I do live in an apartment complex with a guard station and gate. You talking to him would probably make the situation worse. Michael works at the VA too. He's an accountant. That's how all this started. Michael got really jealous of me talking with a male co-worker and started making all types of accusations. There was nothing going on with my co-worker. He's a happily married man and we're just good friends. Michael wouldn't believe me and started turning up when I went to lunch with friends or when I went out for a drink at night. I finally told him that if he couldn't trust me, we didn't need to date anymore. We'd only been going out about 3 months and I didn't think we were that serious. After we broke up, he started leaving messages on my phone saying we were 'meant to be married' and I had 'ruined his plans.' I really have no idea where he got that idea. We never even said we were exclusive."

Ranger looked at me for a moment and said, "That's my point. You were not in a serious, exclusive relationship, yet in his mind he has the two of you headed for the altar. He's out of control. Men like him don't think rationally. I know you don't want to think you were dating a man who would hurt you, but I'm sure he was able to put up a very good front for a while. He just can't maintain that front. It takes too much out of him. Don't worry about the cost of the security system. We can work out some kind of deal. As for talking with him, just let me know if you change your mind. Where do you live?"

I gave him the address and the name of the apartment complex, Merrimac Arms and he gave a nod and said "My company, RangeMan, provides security. I'll let the men at the gate know that Michael isn't to be allowed in."

I smiled and said, "Thank you. I better be getting back to my car so I can get home. It's been a long day." Ranger nodded and we walked to the car. Once he was also seated, I asked him a question I had thought about throughout our time in the café. "By your nickname, I take it you are former Special Forces?" He nodded and replied, "Yes, 12 years active duty, 8 with the Rangers."

Wow, he must have some serious skills. I don't think I had ever treated anyone from Special Forces before. "Where did you serve?" I asked.

"The Ranger's primarily serve on specific missions, but I've done my time in Iraq, Afghanistan, Bosnia and some other places that are classified."

I nodded and asked, "Are you still in the IRR?" He looked surprised, but said, "No, I opted not to go IRR because of my business, but I still do consulting work with the Army from time to time." He looked over at me and gave me an odd look that seemed to be confusion.

"Is something wrong?" I asked. He replied, "No, nothings wrong. Most people don't ask me a lot of questions, that's all."

I laughed. "I can see why. You and Cal are both rather intimidating."

He gave me a brief smile. "I'll drop you at your car and then go up to see Cal. I brought him some real clothes to wear. I don't think he likes the hospital scrubs."

"I don't blame him. Just make sure there are no belts or shoestrings or anything that could be used as a weapon. The nurse on duty will search the bags before she gives them to Cal."

He nodded and said, "About Cal, do you really think he's got a good chance of getting this under control?"

I thought about this for a moment and said, "Yes. He's young and healthy and appears to have a good support system around him. It's important that he continue treatment right now. The longer PTSD goes without treatment, the harder it is to manage the symptoms. We'll do a lot of education with him and at our next meeting I'll explain more of the long-term options available to him. It's good to see that he's got an employer who cares about him. That's not always the case."

Again, just a brief nod. "I'll be there for the next meeting as well. Later, I may ask Cal if our company medic can also attend."

I was a little confused by this. "You have a company medic?" Ranger said, "Yes. My company runs much like the military. The medic, Bobby, was a medic in the Army and he provides the same role in RangeMan."

Ranger pulled up behind my car and said, "It looks like it's all clear. Here's my card. If Michael gives you any trouble, feel free to give me a call. You should have someone walk you to your car when you leave the building." He handed me the card and our hands touched. I felt an immediate spark all the way up to my hair. I looked at Ranger and his beautiful dark brown eyes seemed to dilate in front of me. I had the most insane urge to lean over, grab him by the shirt and kiss him until we both passed out from lack of oxygen. I cleared my throat and said, "Thanks for the coffee and the rescue" and got the hell out of there. He stayed parked behind me until I started my car and moved forward.

I stopped for the stop sign leading off campus and wondered what I had gotten myself into now. I felt my Hungarian hormones raging and thought I would go home for a nice, long cold shower courtesy of one gorgeous man in black.

Ranger's POV

I watched her drive away and thought about following her home, just to make sure she made it safely. I really didn't know her well enough to be that intrusive, though. Instead, I called the control room and was patched through to the guard gate at Stephanie's apartment complex. Ram and Zero were on duty and I let it be known in no uncertain terms that Michael was not to be allowed into the complex and they were to call me if he attempted to visit her.

After I finished, I went to see Cal and left his clothes at the nurses' desk. Cal had started his new medication and seemed a little sleepy, which was a good thing. He hadn't slept well for over 3 weeks. I left after only a few minutes and told him to call if he needed anything.

Walking back out to my car, I made a decision. I pulled out my phone and hit speed dial one. "Tank, I want a background search on Michael Drake, ASAP." As I ended the call, I couldn't help but wonder what the hell had gotten into me. This pretty social worker had me thinking some very protective and possessive thoughts. I had only met her today, but I decided right then and there that I wanted to get to know her a lot better.

A/N: Thank you all for reading and reviewing. I promise, much more about Cal and his treatment in the next chapter.

IRR – Inactive Ready Reserve – military men and women who are technically out of the service, but willing to be called back if there is a need.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: The primary characters in this story belong to Janet Evanovich. I make no money for this work. While I work in healthcare, the names and places detailed in this story are not based on specific persons.

A/N: Thank you all so much for the reviews. I hope you like this update as well. Thanks to FairTaxGirl and Margaret Fowler for reviewing this for me.

_Previously:_

_Ranger's POV:_

_Walking back out to my car, I made a decision. I pulled out my phone and hit speed dial one. "Tank, I want a background search on Michael Drake, ASAP." As I ended the call, I couldn't help but wonder what the hell had gotten into me. This pretty social worker had me thinking some very protective and possessive thoughts. I had only met her today, but I decided right then and there that I wanted to get to know her a lot better. _

Control Chapter 4

I spent a long night, tossing and turning, thinking about Michael's behavior and Ranger. One thought caused a shudder of disgust and the other caused a steady tingle in the South Pole. About 5:00, I gave up on the idea of sleep and got ready for work.

I stopped at the Tasty Pastry to fortify myself with caffeine and sugar and then headed in. I was at my desk by 6:30. At least Mighty Mouse couldn't complain about me being tardy today. I checked my email and voice mail messages and made a to-do list for the day, and since I was so early, I decided to sit in on the nurses' shift-change report at 7:00. I went to the unit and was headed for the small room the nurses used for report when I heard a scream, a second later a panic button went off.

I went running down the hall toward the sound and found Cheryl yelling for help. She was in front of Cal's room and the door was open. Trying to shield myself for what I would see, I looked in the room and saw Cal with another patient in a headlock. Cal was growling and dragging the patient, Billy, backwards into the wall.

I looked at Cheryl and whispered, "Does he have a PRN ordered?" She nodded and I said, "Get it ready. I'll try to talk to him." She took off to go get the shot.

I entered the room slowly and started calling Cal's name softly, trying not to alarm him further. "Cal, it's Stephanie." No response, he didn't even look my way. I spoke up a little louder and called to him again. This time, his head jerked in my direction. "Cal, it's Stephanie, your social worker. We met yesterday, remember?" Billy was rightfully terrified, but was not trying to fight Cal, which was good. "Cal, the man you're holding is another patient. He didn't mean to startle you. He just gets confused sometimes and goes into the wrong room. He won't hurt you."

Cal stared at me and loosened his hold a little bit. I hoped I could talk him out of this before Cheryl came back with the shot. Doing a Code Strong and restraining him would seriously undermine his trust in us and would not help his anxiety and paranoia at all.

"Cal, listen to me. No one here is going to hurt you. I bet Billy just startled you a little when he came in, right? There's no harm done. Just let Billy go slowly and you and I will go sit down and get some breakfast, ok?" Cal loosened his hold a bit more and said, "Stephanie?"

"Yes, Cal, it's Stephanie. Can you let go of Billy now? He's not here to hurt you. No one here is going to hurt you." Cal looked down and seemed surprised to find himself holding another man by the throat. He let go slowly and Billy walked towards me. I heard Cheryl come up behind me and said, "Billy, go with Cheryl, and she'll check you out for injuries, ok?" Billy nodded with tears in his eyes. He was a small man, an older veteran who had been in and out of the hospital since his return from Vietnam. This was a way of life for him. I looked at Cheryl and said, "I think we're fine now. I've got this." She nodded and put an arm around Billy and walked him away.

I walked slowly closer to Cal and said, "Are you okay?" Cal's head was down and I was shocked to see him sink to his knees and begin to sob.

I kneeled down next to him and, not wanting to startle him said, "Cal, would it be okay if I put my arm around you?" He nodded and I put my arm around his shoulders, trying to offer him some type of comfort. We sat like that for a few minutes, until he eased down next to me and put his head in my lap. I was surprised, but glad that he felt comfortable enough to seek the comfort he needed. I let him lay there and stroked his back gently until he stopped crying. I have no idea how long we sat in the floor, but it was long enough for my legs to fall asleep. He became quiet and I could feel him trying to reign in his anxiety by taking slow, deep breaths.

He sat up and looked at me and said, "I'm so sorry. I was asleep when he came in. I didn't think."

I replied, "I know. We all understand. We're here to help you get better. I know it's hard for you to believe it right now, but this will get better. It just takes time." He nodded and stood up and reached a hand down to help me up.

"Maybe a shower would help you feel a little better before breakfast. I'll ask them to hold your tray." He nodded and turned to walk towards the bathroom as I turned for the door.

"Stephanie?" I turned toward him and he said very softly, "Thank you" and turned to go into the bathroom. I let myself out of his room and walked to the nurses' station. We would need to have a debriefing about this incident when Dr. White arrived. I let the staff know that Cal was fine and taking a shower before breakfast. After they assured me they would notify me when Dr. White arrived, I headed back to my office, where I laid my head down on my desk and cried.

I never got used to the emotional toll this job could have on me. I loved my work, but some days it is hard to shut all of it off at quitting time. I heard a soft knock on my door and Cheryl let herself in. She brought me a coke and a Hershey bar. I had to laugh. They were my first choices after a tough day. It was only 8:30 in the morning, but this day was shaping up to be a draining one, particularly after having no sleep last night.

Cheryl sat down with me and said, "I'm glad you were here. He would've been hell to restrain."

I nodded and said, "I know and I'm glad we didn't have to do it. I don't think it would have helped the situation in the long-term. It's hard to trust people after they tie your ass down and stick a needle in your ass." We both had a laugh over this. We both had a sick sense of humor, but it helped to get us through rough times.

About 9:30, Dr. White and to my great joy, Derek, ambled onto the unit. I guess it was too much to hope that word of this incident hadn't already spread all over the hospital. Cheryl and I explained what had happened in the simplest terms possible. Dr. White was understanding and complimentary of the techniques we used, but Derek wanted to know why a Code Strong hadn't been called. I explained that we were attempting to use the "least restrictive measures" possible to contain the situation.

Derek, in his snootiest possible voice, said, "Stephanie, I wasn't aware that you were qualified to make a decision about the 'least restrictive measures' necessary."

I couldn't believe this asshole! After all that had happened today, I could feel my face turning beet red. I wanted his blood, but I knew I had to do this in the right way. "Derek, I am the senior staff person on this unit, as well as the clinical liaison for the treatment team. It is my job to advocate for the well-being and best interests of my patients. Furthermore, I would think that all staff members should be well trained in Prevention and Management of Disruptive Behavior, as well as non-restrictive techniques. I did my job today and I did it well. No one got hurt. That is what we strive for, after all. I can't help but feel you are beginning to harass me for personal reasons. If it continues, I will have no choice but to seek assistance with my union representative. Now, if you will excuse me, I have work to do."

I didn't spare anyone a glance as I escaped back to my office. Ranger was sitting there waiting for me. He stood up, wrapped his arms around me and said, "Thank you." I stood there in my office, wrapped up in the arms of an almost perfect stranger and felt like the weight had been lifted from my shoulders.

A/N: This chapter was very emotional to write, but I hope you enjoyed. The next chapter will include more of Ranger and the progression of Cal's treatment. Please review!

Code Strong – Most psychiatric hospitals have a specific code that they call when a patient gets out of control and needs to be restrained. This was the code used in a private hospital I used to work at.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: The primary characters in this story belong to Janet Evanovich. I make no money for this work. While I work in healthcare, the names and places detailed in this story are not based on specific persons.

A/N: Thank you all so much for the reviews. I hope you like this update as well. Thanks to FairTaxGirl and Margaret Fowler for reviewing this for me.

_Previously:_

_I didn't spare anyone a glance as I escaped back to my office. Ranger was sitting there waiting for me. He stood up, wrapped his arms around me and said, "Thank you." I stood there in my office, wrapped up in the arms of an almost perfect stranger and felt like the weight had been lifted from my shoulders. _

Control Chapter 5

I couldn't believe myself as I rested my face against Ranger's neck. I was standing here with a man I barely knew, but damn he smelled good. The only excuse I had for my behavior was stress and a complete lack of hot men in my life. I extracted myself from his embrace, looked up at him and said, "Sorry, it's been a tough morning."

He looked down at me for a heartbeat before saying, "I heard. Cal called me and told me what happened. I stopped by to check on him and wanted to see if you were all right, too. The nurses told me you were in a meeting and let me wait in your office."

I nodded and sat down. "Cal will be okay. He got startled awake this morning and acted on instinct. This type of situation actually happens at least a dozen times a year. Our staff is used to it and trained to handle it. I was very proud of him for reigning in his emotions so effectively. That's something that is hard to teach and it will serve him well as he continues with his treatment."

Ranger nodded and said, "Cal is a good man. It's been difficult to see him this way. Most of my men are ex-military, so they understood what was happening with him. It took Cal longer to accept it, but that's understandable. I eventually had to threaten his job to get him to come in. I didn't want to do that, but I couldn't risk him or anyone else getting hurt either."

Ranger did look like he regretted his actions with Cal, so I put my hand on his and told him, "You did the right thing. He knows that now." His dark eyes bored into mine and I felt that tingle start again. I moved my hand and he spoke again and the moment passed.

"I heard some yelling from the conference room across the hall. Is everything okay?"

I sighed and said, "My boss, who you saw last night with Michael, was giving me shit about my actions with Cal this morning. No big deal. It's almost a daily occurrence at this point."

Ranger tightened his jaw and said, "Why would he be angry about that? You diffused the situation in a way that worked best for everyone."

I explained, "It's not really about this morning. Derek is Michael's best friend. They were fraternity brothers and since I broke up with Michael, Derek's been all over my back. He waits for me to screw up. Yesterday, he was waiting in my office to tell me I was late for work. He even calls me when he finds a typo in one of my progress notes. It's gotten ridiculous."

"That's harassment," Ranger said. "You should report him."

"I told him just now that I was tired of it and that I would speak with my union rep if it didn't stop. I don't think the threat will do any good, though. Derek is one of the director's 'boys' and he can do no wrong. If anything, he'll get a slap on the wrist."

Ranger said, "It may not do any good, but it's always important to follow through on a threat. If nothing else, he'll know you're not afraid of him."

I nodded and said, "You're right and if anything else happens, I will follow through. I better get back to work."

Ranger stood and was halfway to the door when he turned around and said, "Would you like to have dinner with me Friday night?"

No, I'd like to have HIM for dinner Friday night. Ranger grinned. Shit, I said that out loud! I could feel the heat from my blush creeping up my neck to my hairline. "Don't worry, Babe. I feel the same way. I'll pick you up at 7:00." With that, he turned around and walked out, shutting the door softly behind him.

I stood there, stunned, then dropped back into my chair and put my head down on my desk, wanting to die from embarrassment. I'm an adult and a professional. Who says things like that out loud? My next thought was, screw it! I have a date with the hottest, sexiest man I have ever seen. I'll get over it! And maybe, just maybe, I WILL get to have him for dinner. I jumped up from my chair and did a little dance, feeling like a teenage girl. I started running down wardrobe choices in my head, but decided that this date definitely required a shopping trip.

I picked up the phone and called the one person I knew would help me at a moments notice. "Lula? I need to go to the mall and I need your help."

Lula was up for shopping tonight, so I told her I would pick her up at the office around 5:00. She works for my pervert cousin at his bail bonds office. We met when I bonded out a friend who had discovered her husband cheating on her and tried to beat him to death with a cast iron skillet. He got away without any serious damage, which was a shame. I should have been there to sit on him while she beat him.

Lula and I became fast friends and shopping partners. We both had a love of shoes and junk food, so it was a match made in heaven. I pulled up in front of the bonds office and saw Lula waiting for me. You wouldn't know it looking at her, but she's great at picking out outfits for me. Lula is a former hooker, but dresses like she's still a working girl. She likes her clothes tight, bright and made of spandex. She calls herself a Big Beautiful Black Woman (BBBW) and is proud of it.

Lula hopped in and we took off for the mall, stopping at the food court to fortify ourselves for our mission. While we ate, Lula asked, "So, who's the guy?"

I swallowed my fries and said, "His name is Carlos, but he told me to call him Ranger." A weird sound made me look up. Lula had spit out her chocolate milkshake all over the chair between us. I guess I should just be glad it wasn't all over me.

I stared at her and said, "What's with you?"

She continued to stare for a few minutes and finally said, "You've got a date with Ranger? You've got a date with Batman?"

"Batman? Well, I guess I can see that. He does dress all in black. So, you know him?"

Lula's eyes were bugging out of her head. "Know him? Girl, I drool over his fine ass every time he comes in the office. He does skip tracing for Vinnie and he is the finest damn thing I've ever seen. God, I'm jealous!"

I continued to eat, thinking I would hate to tell him that Vinnie is my cousin. He's such a perv. "What's skip-tracing?"

"It just means he's a bounty hunter. I know that's not all he does, but I don't really know anything else. He's a private guy and I don't think I've heard him speak more than a few times. Normally, he just drives up in one of those fancy black cars, walks in the door and all Connie and I can do is stare. Connie hands him his files and he leaves. Sometimes he brings in some of the guys that work for him. There's this one named Tank. He's a big, beautiful black man with a bald head. I'd love to get my hands on him." Lula sighed and seemed to be daydreaming of what she would do to Tank if she got her wish.

"Lula?" I called. She shook herself and seemed to focus on me again.

"So, how the hell did you meet Batman?" she asked.

Due to confidentiality, I couldn't tell her that one of his employees was in the hospital. I just said, "He was at the VA yesterday and we met. He actually helped me get away from Michael."

Lula narrowed her eyes at the mention of Michael. "Is that asswipe still giving you trouble?" I nodded. Lula of course, could not be dissuaded. "What happened?" I told her the short version. "Michael was waiting for me at my car when I left work and didn't want to take no for an answer. Ranger walked up and asked to speak with me. That was it." She continued,

"Well, if anyone can help you with that, it's Ranger. That man has skills." She took a deep breath and said, "Well, now that I know who your date is with, let's go find something that will knock that SWAT gear right off that fine body."

She grabbed my arm and we were off. We spent 3 hours trolling Macy's and V.S. and I was very happy with our finds. I dropped Lula off and went home, hating that I had to wait all week until my date with Ranger. I would seem him tomorrow at treatment team, though.

I went in early again on Wednesday and got everything prepared for treatment team. We had 8 veterans to see, so it would take up most of the afternoon. I had scheduled Cal for last, thinking we would need a little more time with him, since it was only his second meeting. I wanted to go over long-term treatment options with him and I was sure he would have some questions.

The morning passed quickly and before I knew it, it was time for treatment team to begin. We made final discharge plans with three vets, one that I had serious concerns about. Mr. Hamilton had been admitted for severe depression and though he had certainly improved, I was uncomfortable with him being discharged. He had been there for 3 weeks, but never seemed to progress closer to his baseline. But, he was denying any suicidal thoughts and reported that his depression was much improved. There wasn't much else we could do, since he was asking to be discharged. I just had a bad feeling about him.

The next four veterans were regular updates that moved quickly. I asked for a quick break before bringing Cal in, as I thought we would be there for a while with him. I got a coke and ran to the bathroom before going on the unit to get Cal. Ranger was in the room waiting with him and graced me with a small smile when I walked in. I led them back to the conference room, where Cheryl and Dr. White were waiting.

We all sat down and Cal said, "Before we get started, I would like to apologize for what happened yesterday. It's inexcusable."

I responded to him with, "Cal, it's perfectly understandable considering what you've been going through. It's not the first time something like that has happened on this unit and it won't be the last. No one was hurt and that's what's important."

Cal nodded at me and Dr. White asked, "How is the medicine making you feel?"

Cal shrugged and said, "A little groggy right now. I did sleep better last night and I don't feel quite as jumpy, though the anxiety is still there."

Dr. White nodded and said, "It'll take the Zoloft some time to reach a therapeutic level, but the Ativan works immediately. Since you're not having any adverse effects from either of them, we'll leave them where they are for right now."

Cal nodded and Cheryl talked with him about his concerns about blood pressure and weight gain on the medication. Cal seemed to eat a pretty rigid diet and exercise daily. Cheryl was able to allay his concerns and we all assured him that he would be able to work out again soon.

I was next up to discuss his future treatment. "Cal, I want to talk with you about what happens when you leave this unit."

He seemed surprised that we were discussing this and said, "You mean I can leave soon?"

"Cal, remember, you're not a prisoner here. The acute unit is a short-term unit used for stabilization. What I wanted to talk with you about is your options once you leave here."

"Okay," he said. "What are my options?"

I knew he would probably take this hard, but it had to be done. "Well, I think you could benefit from therapy. There are a few options that work really well with the type of PTSD symptoms you've been having. The first option is called Cognitive Processing Therapy or CPT. It works by basically changing your thoughts about events that upset you. CPT is very structured and it is completed in 12 sessions. Basically, it teaches you to be your own therapist by having you focus on your "stuck point," which is your belief about your trauma and your subsequent reactions about it. It teaches you to ask yourself questions about your beliefs and actions, such as "Is your belief based on a habit or facts?" Or "Are your judgments based on feelings rather than facts?" There are workbooks and a lot of homework involved. CPT has proven to be highly effective in treatment with combat veterans."

"The second option is Prolonged Exposure Therapy, or PE. PE is a little more active than CPT. PE focuses on education, imagining exposure to traumatic events and gradually approaching trauma reminders, such as going to places or seeing people that remind you of your time in the military. PE is also very effective. It can be difficult at first as you start intentionally putting yourself in stressful situations, but there is evidence that this may be the most effective form of therapy for PTSD. It teaches you to learn to cope with and change your natural reactions to stressful situations."

Cal had a glazed look in his eyes. I was afraid I had given him too much at one time. I looked at Ranger and he said, "Which one would you recommend?" I looked at Cheryl and Dr. White and they nodded at me to proceed. "I would recommend PE. Cal, you were able to calm yourself and let me help calm you yesterday. I think the PE would be more effective for you. Plus, if you choose to continue your line of work, you will be in stressful situations frequently."

Cal asked, "How long does the PE last?"

I explained, "Well, PE is based more on your needs. Typically it lasts from 8-15 sessions and the sessions are twice a week for 90 minutes each." I let him think about that for a moment before I added, "We also need to discuss how you would like to complete this therapy."

Cal looked confused and I continued, "What I mean is, you can do this as an inpatient or an outpatient. Once you are more stabilized on the medication, you can be discharged and come in twice a week for therapy. Or you can go to our residential program, where you would be an inpatient."

Cal looked at me and said, "Would it be like this unit?"

"No, it's an open unit. You would go to classes off the unit. The classes focus on education about PTSD and other issues. There is also free time and passes are allowed. It's set up like a college dorm."

Cal nodded and said, "Do I have to decide about this right now?"

I responded, "No, in fact I would prefer you take some time to think about it. I'll bring you some pamphlets on everything we've talked about and you just let me know if you have any more questions."

He nodded and we concluded the team meeting. I hoped Cal would decide to give the residential program a try. I thought it would be helpful for him. Also, starting PE could be very stressful and it would help him to know he was in a safe place.

We all stood and I noticed Cal and Ranger looking at each other as if they were communicating. Maybe they have ESP? I said, "If you would like to visit for a while, you can use this room. Just come across the hall and get me when you're done." They thanked me and I went back to my office.

After about 10 minutes, Ranger knocked on my door and said they were finished. I escorted Cal back to the unit and Ranger was waiting for me when I returned. He walked into the office with me and sat down.

"Is Cal okay?" I asked.

Ranger replied, "I think he's a little overwhelmed, but he's a very thorough man. He'll go over all the information and make a decision."

That eased my mind. "Good. I hope he'll decide to do the PE and try residential. I'm sure he's ready to go home, but it's a great program and I think it would give him better long-term results."

Ranger nodded and said, "I'll be out of town tomorrow, but if there's any problem, just call me and I'll send one of the other men out." I nodded and he continued, "I'm looking forward to Friday night."

I could feel myself blush a little as I said, "Me, too." He reached his hand up to my face and brushed a curl behind my ear. Then he was gone. Huh, I guess Lula was right. "Batman" suits him fine.


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: The primary characters in this story belong to Janet Evanovich. I make no money for this work. While I work in healthcare, the names and places detailed in this story are not based on specific persons.

A/N: Thank you all so much for the reviews. I hope you like this update as well. Thanks to FairTaxGirl and Margaret Fowler for reviewing this for me.

_Previously:_

_Ranger nodded and said, "I'll be out of town tomorrow, but if there's any problem, just call me and I'll send one of the other men out." I nodded and he continued, "I'm looking forward to Friday night."_

_I could feel myself blush a little as I said, "Me, too." He reached his hand up to my face and brushed a curl behind my ear. Then he was gone. Huh, I guess Lula was right. "Batman" suits him fine._

Control Chapter 6

Friday morning, after finally getting a decent nights sleep, I got to right on time and walked down to the canteen for breakfast before I got my day started. I walked onto the unit to speak with Cal. I had given him time to think about his options and hoped he had been thinking about what would be best for him. Cal, for once, was sitting in the common area, chatting and playing cards with a few other veterans. I was pleased to see him being more sociable, though I suspected he was reserved under the best of circumstances. Since I had a few free minutes, I sat down and played a hand of Gin with the guys and then asked to speak with Cal privately.

I took Cal back to my office and noticed that he looked a little looser, more relaxed. I asked him about it and he said, "I think the drugs are working. I've gotten a few good nights sleep and I don't feel as shaky. I still jump when somebody knocks on my door, but I feel better overall. That is, I feel better until I start thinking about going home."

I nodded and said, "Cal, this happens a lot. Patients start to feel better and feel safer on the unit, but they worry what will happen when they go back to their regular lives. That's one of the reasons we encourage some form of therapy. This unit is great at crisis stabilization, but it's not like the real world. Have you thought about what type of therapy you want to pursue?"

Cal nodded and said, "Even thought the thought of it makes me nervous, I think I want to try the Prolonged Exposure Therapy. I read the material you left for me and last night one of the nurses let me do some Internet research. It sounds grueling, but it also sounds like a 'get back on the horse' kind of thing. I was raised to face my fears and that's what I'm going to have to do."

I smiled and said, "You're right. PE will be hard on you, but it will be worth it. Now, what about the residential program? Did you decide to try that or work with therapy as an outpatient?"

Cal frowned and said, "I've thought about it and I need to tell you that I'm leaning towards going home. As much as the thought of real life scares me, I feel like if I put it off, it'll be even harder for me when I do go home. I'm going to think about it more over the weekend and I'll talk to Ranger about what type of work I can do while I'm in therapy."

"Cal, you have to do what feels right to you and we will all support you in that. Just let me know what you decide and I'll make the arrangements for the therapy and any aftercare appointments you need."

Cal nodded and said, "I'll take my time with it this weekend and let you know on Monday."

I also explained, "Just so you can be prepared, Dr. White will likely start talking about discharging you early next week."

Cal paled a bit and said, "So soon?"

I chose my words carefully and said, "We're a short-term unit. Our job is to stabilize you with medication and lay out your options for longer-term treatment. If you're not a danger to yourself or anyone else, we don't have a valid reason to extend your hospitalization. That doesn't mean that we're going to kick you out to deal with everything on your own, though. Whatever you decide, I'll keep in touch with you for follow-up and you're always welcome to call me, as well."

Cal nodded and said, "Thank you." He started to get up, but seemed to have more to say. "Um, this is really none of my business, but there was a man on the unit earlier looking for you. He didn't have a key to get on the unit, but I heard Cheryl at the door telling him that you were in a meeting and would contact him if you wanted to talk to him. He didn't take it well and tried to muscle past her. We were standing up to go help her when he told her he would come back later. I saw Cheryl try to call you and then she went in to see one of the other vets. I just wanted to tell you to be careful. He didn't look like he wanted to bring you flowers."

Shit. It could only be Michael. Damn right he doesn't belong on the unit. He doesn't even have a reason to be in this building. "Cal, what did he look like?" I asked.

Cal said, "He was about 6'0 with light brown hair, a decent, but not bulky build. He had a medium skin tone and was dressed in a blue suit with a red and blue striped tie. I wasn't close enough to see the color of his eyes, but I would guess blue or green."

Damn, Cal was pretty observant. "Thanks for the warning. I'll check in with Cheryl when we go back to the unit."

Cal nodded and we stood to go back the short distance to the unit. Cal looked at me nervously and said, "You know, if this guy is giving you trouble, the company I work for would be happy to help. You've helped me a lot and none of us like to see a man harassing a nice woman like you."

I smiled at him and said, "Thanks, Cal. I probably will talk with Ranger about it tonight."

Cal looked confused and said, "Tonight?"

I realized that I had let the cat out of the bag about our date and I could feel myself blush. Crap, it's not really appropriate to discuss my private life with a patient. It just slipped out! I tried to cover and screwed that up, too. "Well, what I meant was, um…."

Cal put his hands up in front of him and was sporting a grin. "Hey, none of my business and I didn't hear a thing." His expression softened and he said, "The boss is a good man and I've never known him to date before. He must like you." With that, he walked on to his room and I went in search of Cheryl.

She was sitting behind the nurses' station and jumped up and pulled me into the medication room when she saw me.

"Michael was here looking for you!" She said.

I sighed and said, "I heard. What did he say?"

Cheryl rolled her eyes, "Just the same old crap about you wouldn't return his phone calls. I told him that most mammals with a brain would take that to mean you didn't want to talk to him. He tried to push his way in, but stopped when he saw the mad mental patients stand up." She laughed. Michael is an accountant, not a clinician and he could barely stand to be on an elevator with a patient. He thought they were all loose cannons that would snap at any minute. It was really ridiculous for someone as educated as him to think that way.

I laughed with her, but then said, "I didn't tell you, but he was waiting for me the other day when I got off work. I actually felt a little afraid of him. Ranger walked up and that kind of diffused the situation, but this is getting ridiculous. I'm not sure what to do at this point."

Cheryl said, "Wait, where was he waiting for you and who the hell is Ranger?"

I explained, "Him and Derek were waiting at my car. I think it was Monday night. I had stayed late. Ranger is Cal's boss. The one that's been coming to treatment team with him."

Cheryl's eyes glazed over and she said, "You mean the 'Cuban Sex God?'"

"How do you know he's Cuban?" I asked.

"Oh, I heard one of the night-shift nurses talking about him. She's part Cuban and said he must be, too. How did he help out with Michael?"

I explained what had happened and said, "We went for coffee and he told me I should consider doing something about this. He didn't believe Michael would give up easily. Obviously, he was right."

Cheryl had gotten derailed from the Michael situation and said, "You mean you had a date with that fine man and you didn't say a word about it?" She was fairly screeching by the end of the sentence and I reminded her to keep her voice down. The VA was the worst place to keep a secret. It was more like a soap opera than most people realized.

I sighed and said, "It wasn't a date. He was just concerned when he saw Michael try to corner me. He was just giving me some friendly advice since he's in the security business." My naughty side came out and said, "The date's tonight." I grinned and ran off before she could get her mouth to form more words.

I got back to my office and worked for a while, typing progress notes and calling former patients for follow-ups. After a while, I thought about the problem with Michael and decided to call the VA police. Officer Williams came up and talked with me. I explained the situation and he told me that as a first step, he would talk with Michael and encourage him to stay away from me. I knew this officer fairly well and he also told me that there wasn't anything they could do if he tried to talk to me off campus. "We don't have jurisdiction off of the VA campus, so you might consider going to the Trenton PD for a restraining order as well." I nodded, but as a social worker, I had seen to many women get restraining orders. It was only a piece of paper and by the time the police could do more, it was typically too late. Officer Williams told me to call him if I had any problems and if I wanted an escort to my car.

I was sitting there trying to think of what more I could do when my cell phone rang. It was Ranger. "Cal called and told me what happened this morning. He also told me to have a good time tonight."

I cringed and said, "It just kind of slipped out."

"I know. Don't worry about it. I would like to send someone over to walk you to your car and follow you home, though. I'd do it myself, but I've got a meeting I can't get out of."

I felt a little embarrassed that he felt this was necessary. "That's nice of you to offer, but I just talked to one of the VA police and I can call them to escort me to my car."

Ranger said, "I know you can, but I'd feel a lot better about it if it was one of my men. I know the VA has good police, but my men are better. Please let me do this. It'll ease my mind while I'm in my meeting."

Crap. I didn't want to feel like a needy woman. If the rest of his men were built like himself and Cal, though, they would definitely keep Michael away from me. "Okay. Does he have a name?"

I could hear his smile in his voice. "His name is Tank. I'll have him waiting outside the unit door when you leave."

I laughed and thinking of Lula, said, "Oh, I've heard all about Tank."

Ranger seemed surprised and said, "You know Tank?"

I said, "No Batman, I know Lula." I laughed and could almost see him cringe as I pictured him sitting in a leather chair, leaned back talking to me.

"You know you're going to have to explain that tonight. I'll see you at 7:00." Then he hung up. Again. Ass.

At 4:30, I got my things together and walked out the double doors to the unit. Standing there, leaning against the wall, was the largest man I had ever seen in my life. He was about 6'6, with very dark skin and a bald head. If this wasn't Tank, I would be running.

"Are you Tank?" I asked.

"Yes, ma'am. And you're Ms. Plum?" He had a deep, rich baritone voice. I nodded and stuck my hand out to him and told him to call me Stephanie. He shook my hand gently and we fell into step beside each other.

We waited for the elevator and when it opened, two housekeeping workers took a look at Tank and got off immediately. Although the elevator stopped at every floor on the way down, no one else got on. I looked at Tank and said, "You're a handy guy to have around."

He nodded, but didn't say anything. I guess he is the strong, silent type. He walked me to my car without incident and informed me that his orders were to follow me to my apartment and see that I made it safely inside. He then tucked me into my car and told me he would be behind me in a black explorer. It only took about 10 minutes to get to my place and by the time I opened my car door, he was there. When we made it to my apartment, he insisted on going inside first. He came back out a moment later said "All clear" and was gone. Huh.

Looking at the clock, I realized I better get moving to get ready for my date. I showered, shaved, cleansed, buffed, exfoliated and otherwise beautified myself in every way I knew. Thinking of my dress, I did my eye makeup in smoky colors and swept red lipstick across my lips. I used some gel on my hair, but decided to blow dry it and leave it down. I had liked Ranger tucking a stray hair behind my ear and was hoping he would get the urge to do it again tonight.

Finishing with hair and make-up, I stepped into my closet to retrieve the clothes I had bought for this date. I slipped on the black lace boy shorts and black demi-bra. I had decided against thigh highs since it was so hot. I took out the dress next and felt a little shiver of pleasure as I slipped the dress on. It was a red, silk slip dress that hung perfectly on my body. It felt wonderful against my skin and the color was amazing. I put on the red 4-inch sandals and slipped my phone, lipstick and ID into a cute black clutch. I twirled in front of my full-length mirror and felt beautiful. As I turned to go into the living room to wait, the doorbell rang. I felt a thrill of excitement and nerves as I went to answer the door.


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: The primary characters in this story belong to Janet Evanovich. I make no money for this work. While I work in healthcare, the names and places detailed in this story are not based on specific persons.

A/N: Thank you all so much for the reviews. I hope you like this update as well. Thanks to FairTaxGirl and Margaret Fowler for reviewing this for me.

_Previously:_

_I twirled in front of my full-length mirror and felt beautiful. As I turned to go into the living room to wait, the doorbell rang. I felt a thrill of excitement and nerves as I went to answer the door. _

Control Chapter 7

I opened the door and was struck dumb by the site of him. I heard angels sing and knew that God had never made a more beautiful man that the one standing in front of me. He was wearing black dress slacks and a black button up shirt with a black tie. A black jacket completed the suit. His hair was loose and I could see a single diamond stud in his ear. Edible. He looked edible.

"Babe, you look beautiful," he said. I raised my eyebrows at the endearment. It was the second time I had heard him say it, but I couldn't recall anyone ever calling me 'Babe' before. 'Baby,' yes, but never Babe. I liked it. He smiled and said, "It just seems to fit you." I nodded and said, "You look nice yourself."

"Are you ready or do you need a few minutes?" he asked.

"I'm ready." He offered his hand and led me down to his car. The Porsche. Yum.

I decided to play with him a little bit. I had a feeling he didn't get that very often. "Okay Batman, what's the plan?"

He smirked at me and said, "You know, you're not the only person Lula talks to."

Uh-oh. There's no telling what Lula told him. If he talked to me long enough, I'd tell every state secret I knew. "Um, what did Lula say?"

Ranger gave me a genuine smile and said, "Relax. She didn't divulge any friend secrets. I wanted to plan our date and she told me the kinds of things you like. What food you like and what you like to do."

I thought this was a really sweet thing for him to do and I couldn't wait to find out what else Lula told him. "Well, as far as food, you really can't go wrong as long as it's not twigs and bark, I'll eat just about anything. Italian is probably my favorite, though."

Ranger said, "Lula specifically said pizza is your favorite. That's why we're going to Chicago. They have the best pizza."

My mouth fell open. Chicago? "But, Ranger, that's a really long drive."

Ranger chuckled and said, "Babe, we're not driving." He made a gesture with his hand and I looked up to see we were at a private airfield. There was a black jet with RangeMan painted on the side.

Again, my mouth fell open. "You have a plane?"

Ranger responded, "RangeMan has a plane. We generally use it to transport criminals, but tonight, I'm taking it for personal use."

Ranger parked and helped me out of the car. He kept his hand on the small of my back and escorted me up the short stairs into the plane. When we entered the cabin, I couldn't believe what I was seeing. I had never been on a private plane before and this just blew my mind. The interior was made up plush carpet, small tables and large leather seats. There was a bar and a large flat-screen television. It felt more like we were in the sitting room of a fancy hotel than in an airplane.

Ranger escorted me over to a set of seats and helped me buckle up. He sat then and pushed a button to his right and said, "We're ready." Within a few moments we were airborne. It was the smoothest ride ever. I turned to him and said, "You're just full of surprises, aren't you?"

He gave me a small smile and said, "Sometimes I even surprise myself."

We sat together in silence for a moment, when he said, "Tell me about yourself."

I could feel myself blush a little. There really wasn't a whole lot to tell. "What would you like to know?"

Ranger started the conversational ball rolling by asking, "Where did you grow up?"

I told him about growing up in Chambersburg or "the burg" as most people called it. I told him about my family, my father being retired from the post office, where he worked for 30 years after leaving the Army. My mother the homemaker and my perfect older sister. I told him about my eccentric grandmother who liked to carry a big gun and chase the old men around the senior center. I told him about meeting Lula and about Vinnie being my cousin, though I usually didn't claim him.

Ranger laughed out loud at my grandmother and Vinnie. "You're grandmother sounds like a lot of fun, but as for Vinnie, I can definitely understand why you don't claim him. I want to sanitize myself after I've been in his office." I laughed and Ranger shuddered a bit.

After Ranger stopped laughing, I told him about going to college at Penn State and the jobs I worked before getting hired at the VA four years ago.

"Why did you decide to go into social work?" he asked.

I thought for a moment before answering, "Well, at first I wanted to get a degree in psychology, but I realized after a while that I couldn't really do much with it unless I got a Ph.D. My advisor suggested looking into social work and after I researched it, I realized that I could do what I wanted to do with a Master's in social work and I changed my major."

"What is it you wanted to do?"

I replied, "I wanted to work more closely with patients on a day to day basis. With a master's in psychology, all you can really do is psychological testing and in some cases short-term counseling. That wasn't what I wanted. I like the work I do now. I haven't liked all of my jobs, but that was due more to the administration at those agencies than the clients."

He asked, "What was your most favorite job besides the VA?"

I didn't have to think about that. "The domestic violence shelter. I felt like I was able to do a lot of good there. We had the shelter, but we also had funds and services to help women and children get back on their feet and legal help for them as well. It was a grueling, emotional job, but very rewarding. Unfortunately, though I liked the job, I couldn't even afford to eat at McDonalds with what they paid me. I would've stuck it out though, but there was a bad incident and I just decided the stress was too much."

Ranger looked at me intently and said, "What happened?"

I swallowed and said, "One of the husbands found the shelter and came in with a gun. We don't know how he found the place because we were all so careful." I looked up at him and said, "He killed his wife and one staff member. Two of us were shot."

His eyes narrowed fractionally and he said, "You were shot? Where?"

I nodded and said, "My thigh. I was lucky that it wasn't worse. It tore through soft tissue rather than muscle or bone. Still, I was afraid to go back after the shooting. I felt really guilty about that for a long time, but now I know that there was no way I would've been effective in that job after what happened."

Ranger put his hand on mine and said, "I'm sorry that happened to you. That's why you're able to understand what Cal is going through."

I nodded and realized that we were starting to descend. We had talked non-stop for the entire flight. I normally hated landing in a plane, but with Ranger, I was so much more relaxed. Of course, the comfort of his plane helped, too.

When the plane stopped, Ranger helped me out of my seat and took my hand in his. We walked down the stairs and there was a sleek, black Mercedes waiting. Ranger helped me in and we took off. The car had beige leather seats and I leaned back, moaning in luxury. Ranger shot a look at me when I moaned and I said, "Where are we going for great Chicago pizza?"

Ranger said, "Lou Malnati's."

I gasped and said, "I've heard about that place my whole life! I've never been there."

Ranger smiled and said, "It really is the best. I'm no pizza aficionado, but even I love Lou's."

We were there in under 10 minutes and Ranger parked, escorted us in and we ordered a deep-dish supreme and beers. We chatted while waiting for the pie and it was my turn to learn more about Ranger. He told me about growing up in Newark and then in Miami after he got in a little trouble as a teenager. He seemed to still berate himself for the trouble he got in and I said, "Hey, we all do stupid things when we're kids. I tried to fly off the garage a few times. I liked my superheroes." He laughed with me and I realized that he was even more handsome when he laughed. I wouldn't have thought that possible.

Our pizza arrived and I took a big slice, moaning, as I tasted the cheese and sauce. God, this was good. I finished the slice and downed the rest of my beer. I looked up at Ranger to tell him how good it was and saw him watching me with a strange expression on his face. I looked down and he had only taken one bite out of his slice. I frowned and asked, "Is something wrong? Don't you like your pizza?"

He took a deep breath and asked, "Do you always make those noises when you eat?"

I blushed and said, "I don't really realize I'm doing it. Sorry."

He flashed me a grin and said, "Don't stop on my account."

I laughed and the tension eased. "So, have you ever been married?" I asked him.

He nodded and said, "Briefly. We were both 19 and it was really more of a necessity as she was pregnant." He went on to tell me about his daughter, Julie, who is 13 and lives in Miami with her mother and stepfather.

"Do you have a picture?" I asked him.

He shook his head and said, "No, because of the type of work I do, I don't advertise the fact that I have a daughter. You are now one of only a handful of people not in my family who know."

I nodded and said, "I understand and I know how to keep my mouth shut."

Ranger's POV

I couldn't believe how much fun I was having with Stephanie. Frankly, I still couldn't believe I had asked her on a date. I haven't dated since I was a teenager.

She looked absolutely beautiful and when I picked her up and saw her in that dress I thought briefly about changing our plans and going to a fancy French restaurant. She looked too beautiful to sit and eat pizza. But Lula had said this is what she liked, so I kept to the plan. I almost dived over the table at her when she started moaning over the pizza. Damn, I didn't know anybody made noises like that outside of the bedroom! It made me instantly think what she would sound like as she was writhing under me. I had to subtly adjust myself several times.

I was amazed at how easy it was to talk to her. I had never entertained plans of telling her about Julie, but it just came out. She was a breath of fresh air; honest and amazingly unaffected. She was the exact opposite of the women I usually spent time with. Of course, I didn't generally do anything other than pick a woman up, take care of business and go home. It surprised me that I didn't want that with Stephanie.

I spoke up and said, "We need to get going if we're going to make our next stop." She nodded and finished her last slice, excusing herself to the restroom before we left. I watched her walk away and adjusted myself again. I also noticed that I wasn't the only one watching and felt a spark that I thought must be jealousy, though I've never felt it before in my life, I knew immediately that I didn't like the other men in the restaurant ogling her ass.

She returned and I drove us to Second City. I had looked at some plays that were currently running, but thought this may be more fun for a first date. The show was "Fair and Unbalanced" and we both laughed hard. She laughed until she had tears running down her face and I laughed at how hard she was laughing. It was a great, free-spirited time and I couldn't remember the last time I had more fun.

I hated to return to the jet and head back home, but it was around midnight and I knew she'd had a long day at work. We eased back down into the comfortable leather chairs and I turned to say something to her and realized she was sound asleep. I was surprised because most people, particularly women, didn't feel comfortable enough in my presence to go to sleep like this. Women tended to look at me and think I was a thug. They may want to sleep with me, but they didn't want to be friends or hang around with me. Generally, that was fine by me; in fact, I tended to play up the street thug image to keep people at arms length. Stephanie, for whatever reason, wasn't bothered by it and that pleased me to no end.

After we landed in Trenton I moved to wake her up. I called her name several times and got no response. Finally, I brushed her hair back and rubbed my hand along her cheek. Her beautiful eyes opened slowly and she seemed confused for a moment, probably trying to remember where she was. I could tell when she looked at me and realized she was on my plane. She blushed and said, "Oh, God. Ranger, I'm so sorry I fell asleep."

I chuckled and said, "Don't worry about it. I know you've had a long day." She nodded and said, "I just haven't been sleeping well lately and the seat was so comfortable."

I helped her down the stairs and back into the Porsche and drove towards her apartment. Once we were driving, I asked her why she wasn't sleeping well. She shrugged and said, "It's just been a stressful week and I've been a little worried about Derek and Michael." I nodded, but said nothing else. I couldn't do anything about Derek, but I started to think I needed to have a word with Michael. I didn't like him making her lose sleep.

It was only about a 15-minute drive and was made mostly in silence. Stephanie seemed content to settle into the seat and listen to the soft music I had playing. She hummed a little and I was pleased again at how comfortable she seemed with me.

I pulled into her apartment complex and stopped at the gate, rolling down my window. Ram approached and leaned down. "Boss? Hello, Ms. Plum." I could see his eyes raking over her body and raised my eyebrow at him. He immediately stopped.

"Any problems?" I asked.

He nodded and said, "Ms. Plum had a visitor tonight."

Stephanie leaned over to look at Ram and asked, "Was it Michael?" Ram nodded and said, "He didn't like it that I wouldn't let him in, but he left when he realized I meant business." Ram and I shared a look that said we both knew he would be back. I gave Ram a nod and drove on to Stephanie's apartment.

I opened her door and walked her up to her second story unit, keeping my hand on the small of her back. She looked at me and smiled and said, "Are you going to sweep for boogey men like Tank did this afternoon?"

I smiled back at her and said, "Absolutely. That way I get in with or without an invitation."

She blushed a little at my comment as I took her keys and went through her apartment. She had a nice space here. It was comfortable and fairly casual. It wasn't too cluttered. She had pictures of her family and a few of her with girlfriends scattered around. I enjoyed smelling her scent as I went through her bedroom and bathroom. I went back to the door to get her and with a smirk she said, "Well?"

I smirked back at her and said, "You're apartment is boogey man free."

She smiled at me and said, "I had a wonderful time tonight. Thank you."

I stepped closer to her and said, "I had a wonderful time, too." I just had to kiss her. Just one kiss, one caress. I raised my hand to her face and pushed a wild hair behind her ear. I felt her shiver a little and saw her lips open just a fraction. I moved my face to her slowly and touched my lips to hers gently. As soon as my lips touched hers, I knew I had to have more. Her mouth opened beneath mine and I slipped my tongue in. God, she tasted sweet. I stepped closer to her, into her body and wrapped one hand in her hair and put one hand on her back, pulling her into me.

I heard her make a little noise in her throat and deepened the kiss, sucking on her tongue. My hand moved down to cup her ass and she slowly ground herself into me. My control slipped and I put me other hand on her ass, pulling her completely into my body and pushed her against the nearby wall. I took a break from her mouth, moving to trail open-mouthed kisses down her neck. I moved one hand up to gently caress the side of her breast.

I heard her sigh and pulled my head away to look down at her. "Too much for a first date?" I asked.

She gave me a weak smile and said, "With my history, it may be too much for a fourth date." I chuckled and stepped away from her. Looking at her I realized I wanted to see her again, and soon.

"Would you like to go to lunch on Sunday? Maybe see a movie?" I asked.

Stephanie smiled and said, "I'd like that." I kissed her lips gently, chastely and said, "I've got to get us to that fifth date fast." We laughed together and I made my way to her door. I gave her another quick kiss and said, "Stay safe, Babe. Call me if you have any problems. Otherwise, I'll see you at noon on Sunday." She nodded and shut and locked the door behind me.

I realized as I walked down to my car that I had a huge grin on my face. Driving back to the guard station, I took a few deep breaths to get my blank face working again. I rolled down the window and spoke to Ram briefly. "You're on duty until 7:00. First thing in the morning, I'll call the owners and tell them that RangeMan will be providing additional security for a while, free of charge. I want someone at this gate 24/7 until Michael gets the message." Ram nodded and I drove on, already making plans for Sunday.


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: The primary characters in this story belong to Janet Evanovich. I make no money for this work. While I work in healthcare, the names and places detailed in this story are not based on specific persons.

A/N: Thank you all so much for the reviews. I hope you like this update as well. Thanks to FairTaxGirl and Margaret Fowler for reviewing this for me.

_Previously:_

_Stephanie smiled and said, "I'd like that." I kissed her lips gently, chastely and said, "I've got to get us to that fifth date fast." We laughed together and I made my way to her door. I gave her another quick kiss and said, "Stay safe, Babe. Call me if you have any problems. Otherwise, I'll see you at noon on Sunday." She nodded and shut and locked the door behind me._

_I realized as I walked down to my car that I had a huge grin on my face. Driving back to the guard station, I took a few deep breaths to get my blank face working again. I rolled down the window and spoke to Ram briefly. "You're on duty until 7:00. First thing in the morning, I'll call the owners and tell them that RangeMan will be providing additional security for a while, free of charge. I want someone at this gate 24/7 until Michael gets the message." Ram nodded and I drove on, already making plans for Sunday. _

Control Chapter 8

I leaned against the door, thinking that this was the best date of my life. Ranger was attentive, romantic and open. He was also much more talkative than I ever expected. I actually felt like I had learned a lot about him on this date. I couldn't wait to learn more.

The fact that he was gorgeous didn't hurt, either. God, my hormones were racing after that kiss and grope session. I seriously considered forgoing my Catholic girl upbringing and throwing him down on my bed to have my way with him, or letting him have his way with me against the wall in my hallway. Either way was fine with me. In the end though, I was glad he left without it going any further. I don't have the best track record with relationships and I really liked Ranger. I didn't want it to be a one-night stand. I wanted the chance to get to know him a little better.

I went into my bedroom and slipped out of my shoes, dress and bra. I put on a big t-shirt, grabbed my remote control and snuggled down in the bed. The next thing I knew, it was daylight and my phone was ringing. I answered the phone and Lula said, "Girl, you sound worn out. Tell me you got some of that last night."

It took me a minute to realize what she was talking about and I said, "Lula, I'm alone and I'm worn out because it's been a long week and I was out late last night." I finally convinced my eyes to open and saw that it was only 8:30. "Why are you calling me so early on a Saturday?"

Lula got a little huffy and said, "Why am I calling you early on a Saturday? You had a date with Batman. I want details." I smiled recalling the date and said, "Thanks for telling him I liked pizza. He took me to Chicago. We had a great time."

I could hear Lula's smile as she said, "You're lucky I didn't tell him your favorite position." I laughed and said, "You'd have to tell ME first. It's been so long I can't remember."

Lula took a deep breath and said, "Do you mean to tell me that you were with that man for hours last night and didn't jump him? Shit, I'd wear his fine ass out." I laughed until my sides hurt. You could always count on Lula to say something outrageous.

"Lula, I had a great time. I like him."

Lula said, "I'm glad, Steph. You deserve some happy. Now, if you can just work on getting me a date with Tank…"

After talking to Lula, I got up and started my coffee and showered. I dressed in shorts and a t-shirt and lounged around a while, eating some cereal and drinking coffee. I went through my mail and checked my voice mail from last night. There was one message from my mother, inviting me for dinner tonight and one from Michael.

"Stephanie, I'm tired of calling and getting your machine. Call me back this weekend or your parents will get an extra guest for dinner. I'm sure you'd rather our reconciliation happen in private, rather than in front of your parents." I felt chills start at my ears and work their way over my entire body. I saved the message and made a decision to call a friend on the police force. I could have him come over and take my statement without going through the drama of going to the station.

I called Eddie, who said he'd be over in a few minutes. I thought that since Ranger handled the security for my apartment complex, I should also call him. After all, the man at the gate would be sure to call him when Eddie showed up.

I dialed his cell number and got a "Yo." I really hated to follow up our date with this type of phone call.

"Hi, Ranger." I said. Just hearing his voice on the phone made me smile.

"Morning, Babe. I thought you'd be catching up on your sleep today."

I sighed and said, "Actually, I've got a problem that I wanted to let you know about before you heard it from someone else."

"What's the problem?" he asked.

"Michael left me a message last night and he sounded fairly off-balance. I called a friend of mine at the police station and he's going to come by and take my statement for a restraining order. I figured whoever's at the guard gate would call you when Eddie showed up, and I didn't want you to be alarmed." I explained.

"I'll be there in 10 minutes." I was in the middle of saying, "No, Ranger, you don't need to come by," when I realized that he had already disconnected. Well, maybe this could count as the second date? I jumped up and put on a little make-up and put my crazy hair in a ponytail. I debated changing clothes, but that just looked like I was trying too hard.

True to his word, there was a knock on my door 10 minutes later. I opened the door and Ranger entered with another man following. The other man was also Hispanic, well built and handsome. Ranger introduced him as Lester Santos.

A moment later, Ranger's cell phone rang and it was the guard gate, telling him that Eddie was on his way up. He and Lester settled at my kitchen table to wait.

Eddie arrived a moment later and knocked softly. I opened the door and Eddie swept me into a big hug. "Hey, cutie. We haven't seen you in a while." We exchanged pleasantries about our families. His wife is my cousin and we all went through school together. He put his arm around my shoulders and we walked into the apartment. He froze when he spotted Ranger, but quickly recovered. "Ranger" he said, nodding his head at him.

"Do you two know each other?" I asked, surprised.

"RangeMan works a lot with the local police." Ranger supplied.

Eddie turned to me, obviously baffled by Ranger's presence in my apartment. "Steph, just how serious is this problem you're having?"

Eddie and I sat down and I gave him the story about Michael. When I finished talking, I played the voice mail for them all to hear. I saw a muscle tick in Ranger's jaw and Eddie looked very displeased. Eddie had written everything down and looked up at me to say, "We've definitely got enough for a restraining order. I'll find a judge on the golf course today and get it signed."

I smiled and said, "Thanks, Eddie."

Eddie gave me another hug and said. "I know you already know this, but the restraining order probably won't keep him away. It just gives us cause to arrest him if he violates the parameters the judge sets." I nodded and started walking him to the door, Eddie looked at me and grinned and said, "Of course, you could just get the Buick out and take care of this by yourself. I promise the Trenton PD will look the other way." I smiled, but cringed inside. I really didn't want to tell Ranger that story yet.

After Eddie left, I walked back into the kitchen and sat down. Ranger and Lester just stared at me. I was getting a little uncomfortable and finally said, "What?"

Ranger smiled and said, "What's the deal with the Buick, Babe?"

I blushed and said, "It's nothing. Eddie has always had a warped sense of humor."

My cell phone ringing saved me from further questions. It was Cheryl. I answered and Cheryl said, "Hey, Steph, I hate to bother you on a Saturday, but Mr. Hamilton showed up and wants to talk with you. I knew you were worried about him."

I had been worried about him. There was no way he was really ready to be discharged. I told her, "If he doesn't mind waiting, I can be there in about 30 minutes." We hung up and I looked over at Ranger and Lester and said, "I'm going to have to go into work for a little while."

Ranger nodded and said, "I've got a few things scheduled today that I can't get out of, but it would really ease my mind about the Michael problem if you would let Lester shadow you today."

He was giving me a bodyguard? How weird. "Ranger, I appreciate it, but I'm just going to work and probably the grocery store. I won't be alone and it wouldn't be a very exciting day for Lester." I looked over at Lester and smiled. He gave me a grin back and said, "It's never a hardship to follow a beautiful woman around all day, plus I can visit with Cal while you work."

Ranger shot Lester a look that killed his boyish grin. Lester cleared his throat and sat there with a blank face.

"Babe, we don't know what Michael will try. Please let us do this. Knowing you're safe will help me today, too." Damnit, why did he have to be so nice and reasonable?

I sighed and said, "Okay, just let me change clothes." I went in the bedroom and changed into a pair of jeans and put on some tennis shoes. It was Saturday and I was technically off work. I wasn't going to dress up to go in for a few minutes.

When I walked back in the living room, Ranger and Lester were talking softly. Ranger looked up at me and smiled. "Ready, Babe?" I nodded and we all walked downstairs. Ranger gave me a peck on the cheek and told me he would see me later. Lester wanted to drive, so I climbed into his monster, black SUV. The SUV was really nice, with leather seats, fully tinted windows and a great air conditioner. Lester waited until we were out on the road before saying, "So, you and the boss, huh?"

I blushed a little and said, "Why do I think you're looking for gossip?"

He laughed and said, "Well, I must confess, we've all been a little curious about you."

I frowned and said, "Who's we?"

Lester smiled and said, "All the guys at RangeMan."

"So are you going to report back on your findings?" I asked.

He laughed and said, "Oh, yeah. I know you've met Tank and Ram, but they didn't know anything more than the rest of it. I plan to give your full biography when I get back to the office."

I laughed and said, "Geez, you guys must gossip more than little old ladies."

Lester replied, "Well, we all live in the same building, so it's hard to keep a secret. Plus, it's virtually unheard of for Ranger to have a date or be curious about a woman. Add to that, you're helping Cal. We knew you must be pretty amazing."

I blushed and he politely ignored that and drove on. We got to the VA and Lester escorted me inside, keeping a watchful eye on everyone around us. The halls were usually pretty quiet on the weekends, so there wasn't a lot to watch. We got up to my unit and Mr. Hamilton was waiting outside for me. I took him into my office and let Lester on the unit to visit with Cal, promising to come get him when I was done.

I went back to Mr. Hamilton and he was sitting quietly. It took him a few minutes to start talking and it was obvious that he was still very depressed. He was disheveled and a little dirty. He had lost a few pounds and his affect was completely flat. He finally said, "I'm sorry you had to come out here on a Saturday. I wasn't thinking about the day of the week when I came."

I shook my head and said, "Don't worry about it. We've all been concerned about you. I'm glad to see you."

He shook his head and said, "My wife left me. She said she couldn't take living with me anymore. She said it was like I wasn't there even when I was there."

I replied, "Mr. Hamilton, I'm so sorry. Is there anything I can do?"

He shook his head again and said, "I just wanted to talk to somebody and I thought of you because you were always so friendly."

"Do you think there's a chance you and your wife could work things out?" I asked.

He said, "No, I don't think so. She's been walking out the door since the day I came home from Iraq. She says I'm not the same man she married. She's right, I'm not, but I don't know what else to do. I've taken the medicine and done the therapy. I've admitted myself to the hospital a few times, but nothing seems to help."

I took a breath and said, "Mr. Hamilton, there are other things that we can try. Your depression is very severe and hasn't responded to traditional treatments, but that doesn't mean we have to give up. We can speak with your doctor about other treatment options. We can also offer you and your wife marital counseling."

Mr. Hamilton gave me a small smile and said, "I appreciate what you're trying to do, but I don't think anything is going to help."

I felt a trickle of unease again and said, "I can call the POD and have him evaluate you for admission today. He can take a look at your medication and see what can be changed. Sometimes, a fresh eye looking at medication does the trick."

He shook his head and said, "No. I want to be alone this weekend, but I have an outpatient appointment Monday morning."

I never got used to asking these questions, but I had no choice. "Mr. Hamilton, are you having any thoughts of harming yourself or anyone else?"

He gave a sad smile and said, "No, Ms. Plum. I'm not going to kill myself or anyone else."

I tried again, "I know it's hard to be on a closed unit, but it would be a safe place for you while you work on getting better. We're all here to help you."

He wasn't buying it. He wasn't going to stay. He shook his head and said, "No, I think I'll just go home and watch a game. Thank you for your time." He stood slowly and I let him out of the locked doors. In my head I knew that since he was denying SI or HI, there was nothing I could do, but it still hurt to let him walk out that door. "Mr. Hamilton, call the unit if you need anything. They'll get in touch with me." He nodded, thanked me and went on to the elevators.

I called a friend of mine, who was the Suicide Prevention Coordinator and asked her to check on Mr. Hamilton tonight or tomorrow. I typed up the progress note about our meeting and went back to the unit to retrieve Lester. I stopped by the nurses' desk and told Cheryl what had happened with Mr. Hamilton. She, too, felt like he should come back to the unit, but agreed that we had no cause to try a commitment.

I went to Cal's room and could hear loud laughter as I knocked on the door. I heard Cal say "come in" and walked in to see the two of them doubled over with laughter. Cal had tears streaming down his face. It looked like Lester was good medicine for Cal.

"All right, somebody has to let me in on the joke. I need a good laugh." I saw Cal and Lester look at each other and Lester said, "Sorry, Beautiful, but it's not a joke I can share." I was a little surprised at his endearment, but what woman doesn't like to be called 'beautiful?'

I chatted with Cal for a moment and then Lester and I left. When we got back to his vehicle, he said, "Ranger wanted me to invite you by to the RangeMan building. Would you like to come?"

I nodded and said, "Sure. I've been wondering about it since I met Cal and Ranger."

Lester drove through downtown Trenton and stopped a medium sized building on Haywood Street. He opened a garage on the side of the building and pulled in and parked. I could see Ranger's Porsche, as well as about 12 other black trucks and SUV's.

Lester looked at me and grinned. "Come on, Beautiful, let's let everybody get a look at you." I rolled my eyes and got out of the car. If I had known I was coming here, I would've taken the time to dress up a little more. This felt almost like meeting Ranger's family.

Lester grabbed my hand and tugged me toward an elevator. He chattered about the features in the building, such as a full gym, swimming pool, gun range and employee apartments. I had to say that I was impressed. Ranger obviously did very well and treated his employees very well, too. As someone with a crappy boss, that went a long way towards impressing me.

Lester hit the button for the fifth floor and as we stepped off, I noticed several men pointedly not looking at us. It was a little too obvious that everyone wanted to see what I looked like, but they were trying very hard to be unobtrusive about it. Lester led me to an office that had "Carlos Manoso, CEO" on the door. He opened the door without knocking and I saw Ranger behind the desk. Ranger gave Lester an annoyed look before he noticed me standing slightly behind him. He relaxed and smiled.

"Any trouble today?" Ranger asked.

I shook my head and Lester said, "No trouble, boss. Cal seems to be doing good, too."

Ranger nodded and said only, "Good." He then stared at Lester until Lester took the hint and said, "Fine, I know where I'm not wanted." He turned to me and said, "Beautiful, call me anytime you need a bodyguard." I think he did this just to annoy Ranger because he gave me a little wink and took off.

I laughed a little and said, "Lester must be the class clown of RangeMan."

Ranger nodded and said, "And then some."

We stared at each other for a minute and I said, "Look, I didn't mean to disturb your day when I called this morning. If someone can take me home, you can get back to your plans." Ranger shook his head and said, "I was actually hoping you'd join me for lunch."

I was a little surprised that he wanted lunch. We spent hours together last night and had a date for tomorrow, too. "I'd love lunch, but I don't want to disturb your day any further."

He shook his head and said, "You're not disturbing my day at all." He stood up, grabbed my hand and said, "Come on, I know a great place for lunch that's close."

We got on the elevator and instead of going back to the garage, we went to the 7th floor. We stepped off the elevator and he used a remote to open a door. I stepped in and looked around. It was a luxury apartment, professionally decorated in beige and black. I looked over at him and he said, "This is my apartment. I had my housekeeper make lunch for us." He pointed towards the kitchen and I saw two place settings filled with meatball sub sandwiches and Caesar salads.

I looked longingly at the meatball sub and said, "You know, if you keep feeding me like this, I'm going to think you just want to hear me moan while I eat."

Ranger gave me a wolf-grin and said, "I'd rather hear you moan for other reasons than food. But this will do for now."

I blushed, thinking I had walked right into that one. We sat down and ate and he said, "I thought tomorrow we could have a picnic. I know a nice little park we could go to. I'll have my housekeeper, Ella, pack a lunch. If there's a movie you'd like to see, we could also do that."

I smiled and said, "That sounds great." I chewed and though for a moment and finally said, "You know, it's hard to believe you don't date very often. You're very good at it."

He smiled and said, "Just wait until we get to the fifth date."

A/N: The VA is like the military with it's own lexicon. I've listed the following terms that I thought may be confusing for most people.

SI/HI – Suicidal or homicidal ideations

POD – Psychiatrist on Duty

Suicide Prevention Coordinator- Each VA is required to have this position. This person (it's always a psychologist, social worker or master's level nurse) follows up on veterans who have been determined to be at risk for suicide. The suicide rate among veterans has been extremely high, particularly since the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan began. This position was created as a response to this.


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: The primary characters in this story belong to Janet Evanovich. I make no money for this work. While I work in healthcare, the names and places detailed in this story are not based on specific persons.

A/N: Thank you all so much for the reviews. I hope you like this update as well. Thanks to FairTaxGirl and Margaret Fowler for reviewing this for me.

_Previously:_

_I smiled and said, "That sounds great." I chewed and though for a moment and finally said, "You know, it's hard to believe you don't date very often. You're very good at it." _

_He smiled and said, "Just wait until we get to the fifth date."_

Control Chapter 9

Ranger's POV

Stephanie stayed for lunch and we had a nice time talking. She was funny and smart and easy to spend time with. I gave her a tour of the building and she seemed very impressed. She also didn't blink twice at the looks of any of my men and some of them I look twice at. She didn't really meet any of them today. I didn't want to overwhelm her with a lot of names and faces and I also didn't want to share her attention today.

A few times, I caught Lester watching us and grinning like a schoolgirl. I'd have to have a talk with my team about acting more like mercenaries.

Stephanie had errands to run and had planned dinner with her family, so I drove her home around 2:00. I found myself hoping she would want to come back to visit again.

I walked her up to her apartment and checked for boogeymen as she called it. She walked inside, turned to me and said, "I had a nice time today and it was great to see your building and your business. It's a lot bigger than I had imagined."

I explained, "We started out very small, but now have offices in Trenton, Miami, Boston and Atlanta."

Stephanie watched me and listened intently. "I'd love to hear more about what you do and what the other offices are like."

I knew she had things to do, so I said, "Then we'll have something to talk about tomorrow. I've got something for you that I would really like you to keep with you at all times." I pulled a small remote out of my pocket and showed it to her.

I explained, "This is a panic button. It has a GPS inside and if you push it, the signal will immediately go to the RangeMan control room. They always know my whereabouts and can get in touch with me. Whoever is closest to your location would also respond."

She opened her mouth, I'm sure to tell me this was unnecessary and I cut her off, saying, "This will help me rest better. I know Eddie is working on getting the restraining order issued, but this will bring you help immediately without having to call the police. Also, if you'll let me know what time you're leaving, I'll have Lester follow you to your parents' house. He can keep an eye on things outside while you're having dinner."

She looked at it for a moment and nodded, saying, "Thank you. I don't like the need for it, but I appreciate your concern and your willingness to help. Even though I'm a big girl and I know better, I still keep hoping that Michael will just take the hint and back off. I realize now that that's not going to happen."

No, he wasn't going to leave her alone. Tank had brought me the detailed background check on Michael this morning. The initial check hadn't shown anything, but now we knew that he had been accused of harassing two women in college, one of whom filed sexual assault charges against him that didn't stick and never went any further than the campus police. He had also been under suspicion of leaving nasty, threatening letters for a female co-worker at his previous job. This was never proven, but there is no way that he was innocent of all of these accusations. He happened to come from a wealthy family that likely made all of this go away with a little pressure and a little money.

As much as I didn't want to alarm Stephanie, I also wanted her to be on guard. I told her all the information we had uncovered and she was understandably shocked.

She sat down on the sofa and looked over at me, saying, "I had no idea about any of that. At first, I really just thought he was a little too controlling. He never threatened me physically or anything, it was more his attitude about things." I asked her for details and she said, "Well, if I went to lunch or out for a drink with friends, he constantly asked me if I was seeing someone else, or if I was sleeping with one of my male friends. After the third time listening to that type of comment, I told him that I didn't want to see him again. I thought everything was fine, but after a few days, the phone calls started and then he started showing up outside the acute unit or where I was having lunch. He came by my parents one day when he knew I would be there for dinner. My mother invited him in before I could say anything and I had to sit through the entire meal with him pretending we were still dating."

I was confused and said, "But didn't your family know you had broken up?"

She shook her head and said, "No, I never mentioned it. Michael had only come for dinner one time and he had invited himself to that. We really weren't serious and it just didn't occur to me to tell them that we had broken up. He hadn't given me any clue that our dating was more serious to him, either."

I replied, "Does you family know the situation now?"

She nodded and said, "I told them we had broken up, but I haven't talked to them this week. They don't know how bad it's gotten." She thought for a minute and said, "I'll give my dad a call before I go over there. He won't let Michael near me when I tell him what's going on."

Suddenly, she grinned and I wondered what she was thinking about. "Babe, what's that look for?"

She laughed and said, "Oh, I was just thinking about letting Grandma Mazur loose to take care of Michael. She could put the fear of God in him." I laughed along with her, remembering what she had told me about her eccentric grandmother.

To further lighten the mood, I said, "Maybe I could give your grandma a job. If she scares people that easily, she could really make my profits go up."

Stephanie smiled a wicked smile and said, "Yes, but your entire male work force would resign. My grandma has a fascination with good looking young men and she lets her hands wander."

The terror of that possibility must have shown on my face because Steph laughed and leaned over and kissed me on the lips. It was a friendly kiss, not one meant to seduce, but I couldn't resist the temptation. I wrapped my arm around her waist and pulled her onto my lap. She straddled me and we kissed long and hard, tasting each other. I let my hands run up and down her back, before settling on her hips. We broke from the kiss and her mouth went to my ear lobe, sucking and nibbling gently. Jesus, she was going to be the death of me.

I managed to mutter, "Babe, unless we're counting this as the fifth date, we need to stop." She shifted off of me and said, "Sorry, I forgot about the date rule for a minute." She looked genuinely contrite and I felt a rush of affection for her. I kissed her on the cheek and told her I would see her tomorrow and left before I lost my legendary control.

I stopped in at the guard gate on my way out. Zero was on duty and told me Ram was making rounds in the complex.

Stephanie's POV

I couldn't believe I had practically climbed on top of Ranger and tried to suck his ear down my throat. In my defense though, he is the sexiest man I had ever seen. What woman wouldn't throw herself at him? And he certainly felt like he enjoyed it, too. He also felt like he would leave me walking funny for days on end. I stifled a cross between a giggle and a moan at the thought of what Ranger would do to me in bed.

I got up and changed into a t-shirt, deciding that since it was Saturday, I was more than due for a nap. Before drifting off, I thought of Michael and what would happen if he did manage to corner me. When he first started leaving messages for me, I was mainly just annoyed. I thought he would get the hint soon enough and give it up. I had no idea that he had that type of history. If Ranger wanted to put me on alert, he certainly accomplished his goal.

I slept for about 2 hours and changed into jeans and a t-shirt. Dinner with my parents was in no way formal. I didn't know if Lester would be waiting downstairs or what, so I got my things together and headed out the door. Lester was slouched against wall facing my door. He gave me a grin and a wink and we headed downstairs.

Lester said, "So, did you and Ranger have a nice lunch?" He was still grinning at me and I felt the peculiar urge to punch him in the arm. He apparently liked to tease me.

I said, "Why don't you ask Ranger?" His grin slipped a little and he said, "I tried. I have to meet him on the mats at 0500."

I must have looked confused because Lester explained, "At RangeMan, discipline is meted out in the gym, on the mats with Ranger or Tank. This is Ranger's way of telling me not to ask him about his personal life. I knew better, of course, but I just couldn't help myself." He gave me another cocky grin and opened the door to the SUV for me.

I smiled thinking about Ranger all hot and sweaty in the gym. Damn, I think I'm having a hot flash. I tried to get my mind off my hormones by asking, "So, how did you meet Ranger? Were you in the service together?"

Lester nodded and said, "Yes, we were in the Ranger's together, but I've known him my whole life. He's my cousin and we grew up together."

I was surprised that Ranger hadn't mentioned the relationship when he introduced me to Lester, but he did tell me he was used to keeping his private life private. He probably didn't even think about it.

"So, does the rest of your family look like you two?" I asked. If they did, every photographer in America would want to use them for their portfolio.

Lester raised an eyebrow and said, "And just how do we look?"

I rolled my eyes at him and said, "Lester, you can't tell me for one minute that you don't know you're good looking."

He grinned and said, "Yeah, but I wanted to hear you say it, Beautiful." He was so outrageous that I had to laugh. He was like a big brothers best friend, always teasing and obnoxious at the same time. You just had to love him.

We pulled up at my parents' house and Lester told me he would wait in the car and keep an eye out for Michael. He also gave me his cell number and told me to call him or push my panic button if I got a phone call or had any other problems while I was inside.

My mother and grandmother were waiting just inside the front door. Thankfully, they hadn't seen Lester drive up or they would be asking me a million questions about him. I had called my dad earlier to tell him about Michael, but I didn't know if he had shared the information or not. One look at him told me that he had not.

We sat down to dinner and started passing plates around. Mom had made a roast chicken with mashed potatoes and asparagus with cherry pie for dessert. There was nothing like one of my mothers' meals to make me feel more settled.

Mom started the ball rolling and said, "Stephanie, are you still seeing that nice young accountant?"

I looked at dad and said, "No, Michael and I broke up. Actually, I wanted to talk to you about him." My mother and grandmother continued to look at me as I explained what was going on. Mom just stared after I finished and said, "But what are you going to do? You work with him. If he's following you around how will you stay safe?"

I didn't want to tell her about Ranger yet, mainly because she would start planning the wedding, so I said, "I've notified the VA police and filed a restraining order with TPD. I've got a friend helping me when I'm not at work."

Grandma said, "What do you mean you've got a friend helping you?"

I explained, "My friend owns a security company and he has given me a panic button to push if I need help."

Mom said, "Well, that's very nice of your friend to help, but I don't how much good a security guard can do. He's one of those people in the mall?"

I hid my smile and said, "No, mom, he's not a security guard. He owns a company that specializes in providing security for individuals and he was also an Army Ranger. Believe me, my friend and his employees are more than capable of keeping me safe from Michael."

Dad said, "What's his name?"

I didn't want to tell them. It's not that I was ashamed of our dating or anything, far from it, but if they started asking questions about Ranger, the whole neighborhood would start planning my wedding. And I wouldn't put it past Grandma to show up at RangeMan.

Dad said, "Is there some reason you don't want to tell us his name? Is he involved in something illegal?"

Mom's eyes went wide and grandma looked like she was having a great time. She would love it if Ranger were a gunrunner or something. "No, he's not doing anything illegal. His name is Carlos Manoso and he runs a company called RangeMan. It's a very successful security company."

Dad's eyes got wide now and he said, "I've heard of them. They do bounty hunting, too, right?"

I nodded and dad said, "They say everybody who works there is ex-military and huge and armed to the hilt."

I nodded again and said, "From everything I've seen, that's the truth."

Dad nodded again and said, "That sounds good to me. You can't beat an Army Ranger, they're much better than Marines or Navy."

Mom and I rolled our eyes. Dad had been in the Army during Vietnam and held an old prejudiced towards the other branches of the military.

Leave it to Grandma Mazur to ask the million-dollar question. "So, is this Manoso a hottie?"

I swallowed my pie and said, "He's very good looking, yes."

Grandma sensed more, so she went for the kill. I could see Mom leaning forward to catch every word. "So, why is he doing all of this for you if you're just friends?"

I sputtered and said, "Well, um," Mom and Grandma started working together and Mom said, "Stephanie, are you dating this young man?"

I took a deep, cleansing breath and said, "We've been on one date."

Grandma said, "Are you planning to go out with him again?" They leaned forward until Grandma's chin was about to sit in the cherry pie.

I nodded and said, "Yes, we've planned to go out again."

Mom and Grandma looked at each other and spoke as one, "You must bring him to dinner." Mom picked up and said, "Next Sunday would be great." They were both beaming. I looked at Dad and he just shrugged as if to say, "Don't look to me for help with this."

I said, "I'll ask him, but I know he has a very busy schedule." God, I wanted him to like me more before he met my family. They could turn a nun into an alcoholic in no time flat.

I gathered my leftovers and went out to the waiting Lester. He hadn't seen any sign of Michael, but was eyeing my bag of leftovers. I narrowed my eyes and said, "Forget it, Santos. I don't share my mothers leftovers."

He chuckled and we drove on to my apartment in silence. He walked me up and checked out the apartment. He came back and handed me my keys and said, "I hear you and Ranger have another date tomorrow."

I nodded and he gave me a grin and a wink and said, "Be good, Beautiful. If you can't, name it after me."

A/N: I have no prejudiced against any branch of the military, but I come from an Army family. My grandfather and uncles always liked talking trash about other branches. No offense intended!


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: The primary characters in this story belong to Janet Evanovich. I make no money for this work. While I work in healthcare, the names and places detailed in this story are not based on specific persons.

A/N: Thank you all so much for the reviews. I hope you like this update as well. Thanks to FairTaxGirl and Margaret Fowler for reviewing this for me.

_Previously:_

_Lester chuckled and we drove on to my apartment in silence. He walked me up and checked out the apartment. He came back and handed me my keys and said, "I hear you and Ranger have another date tomorrow." _

_I nodded and he gave me a grin and a wink and said, "Be good, Beautiful. If you can't, name it after me."_

Control Chapter 10

Since it was Sunday, I slept in. I rolled out of bed about 9:00, had some coffee and cereal and started looking through my closet for something to wear for my date with Ranger. He had said we were having a picnic, so casual should be fine, but I didn't want to wear jeans and a t-shirt.

I finally settled on a light blue, sleeveless Capri set. The shirt was button up with a knot tie on the side. I didn't want to trudge through grass in heels, so I chose a cute pair of flats with a pastel flowers on the sides.

I showered, shaved, buffed and lotioned myself to within an inch of my life. I was having a hard time resisting Ranger's charms and I wanted to be ready if things did move to the next level. Who am I kidding? I wanted him, plain and simple. Who wouldn't?

I did my hair in loose curls and went easy on the make-up, using only powder, mascara and a pretty pink lipstick. I sprayed some Dolce Vita in strategic places and went to choose my lingerie. I settled on an ivory lace wonder bra and a matching thong. By this time, it was 11:30, so I got dressed, put my things in a new purse and went to the living room to wait. Ranger was always punctual.

Sure enough, at 11:55, there was a light knock on my door. I answered the door and felt the drool start to accumulate. Ranger was wearing black slacks and a medium blue button down shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his forearms.

He leaned forward and gave me a soft kiss on the lips and said, "You look beautiful. Ready?"

I nodded and he took my hand and led me downstairs. He was in a large, black truck today. He helped me up into the seat and we drove to a park in the Burg. It was a fairly busy park on most days, but it was still early for a Sunday, so we were able to get a nice picnic table near the tree line.

Ranger had brought a picnic basket with him and he proceeded to lay out a white linen tablecloth and put down several plastic carrying dishes, a nice bottle of white wine and two crystal glasses. He had more than I could ever have imagined in that little basket. There was cheese, fresh fruit, and a fresh loaf of bread and pasta salad. He also brought what he apparently considered a healthy dessert, strawberry shortcake with whipped cream.

We sat there and ate and chatted about nothing important. It was nice and relaxing. We were sitting next to each other and every once in a while his hand would brush my hair or rub my lower back or touch my hand. It felt very intimate, even though we were in public.

I felt Ranger stiffen and looked up to see none other than the Italian Stallion headed our way. I put my piece of bread down and said, "I think I just lost my appetite."

Ranger looked over at me and said, "You know Morelli?" I nodded and said only, "We grew up together and it wasn't always pleasant."

I felt Ranger reach behind him to put his hand on his gun and put my hand on his arm. "It's nothing like that. He won't hurt me. He just wants to annoy me."

Ranger gave a brief nod and turned his attention back to Morelli's approach.

Morelli stopped in front of us, gave Ranger a look and said, "Hi, Cupcake. Long time, no see." I glared back and said, "Not nearly long enough as far as I'm concerned."

Morelli sighed and said, "You can't possibly still be mad at me for that. It was years ago. Come on, Cupcake, give me a break."

I snarled and said, "If you call me that again, I will give you another break."

Eddie was headed over and called out, "Joe, they need you on the field." Joe looked toward Ranger and looked back at me. "Are you two dating?"

Ranger spoke up at this and said, "Morelli, you need to be careful."

Joe paled a little, but was about to speak again when Eddie reached us and whispered something to him. Joe paled even more, nodded at us and jogged off to join the softball game.

Eddie was grinning and I asked him what he had said to Joe. "I just reminded him that your grandma still has Big Blue." I laughed with Eddie until I realized that Ranger was going to want to hear the story about Big Blue and Morelli.

Eddie stayed long enough to tell us that he had gotten the restraining order signed that morning. Michael was required to stay at least 1000 yards from me at all times. He was also not allowed within 1000 yards of my apartment or my parents home. Work was trickier, particularly since it was federal property. Eddie would take care of notifying the VA police about the order. Ranger and I both thanked him and he jogged off to join the game.

Ranger looked at me and I studiously avoided looking back at him for as long as possible. Finally, he said, "Babe."

I sighed and told him the story as briefly as I could. "Fine! It's just embarrassing, that's why I don't want to tell you." He continued to stare and wait for the story. "When I was 16, I lost my virginity to Morelli. I'm sure I was probably number 500 or something."

Before I could continue, Ranger said, in a confused voice, "So you hate him because he was your first?"

I explained, "No, I hate him because he wrote about it all over town. My parents and everyone else I knew found out about it within 24 hours. A few days later, he joined the Navy and I didn't see him again for a few years. One day, I was driving my grandmother's 1953 Buick and I saw him on the sidewalk. I kind of lost it when I saw him and drove up on the sidewalk and hit him. I broke his leg."

I ventured a look at Ranger and there were two beats of silence before he threw his head back and laughed. "Stephanie, he should be embarrassed, not you. He knows that, that's why he tries to get back in your good graces."

I shrugged and said, "Well, at least he's still afraid of Big Blue." Then I laughed with Ranger. It certainly wasn't funny when it happened, but now, with so many years passed, I could see the humor.

When we quieted down, Ranger pulled me to him and kissed me. It was a slow, sweet kiss that left me wanting more. When he pulled back, I could see that he wanted more, too. He cleared his throat and said, "Ready for the movie?"

I shook my head and said, "I think I'd like to go back to my place and watch a video." Ranger gave me a look, but nodded and we packed up all the picnic remains and headed back to my place.

I asked Ranger to pick the movie while I went to the bathroom. I sat there thinking, the first date was when we went to Chicago, and we could count Saturday morning when he came over because of Michael's message as the second date. The third date was lunch in his apartment and the fourth date was today. Maybe I could ask him to step out in the hall and knock again? Fuck it! I'm an adult. If I want to have sex with a hot, sexy, caring man, I will. I willed myself to stop stressing about it and let it happen if it was the right time. I went back out and sat next to Ranger on the sofa. He had already put a movie in and had gotten us both a bottle of water.

I waited for the movie to start to see what he had picked. When I saw the opening credits, I knew. He had picked Ghostbusters, my all time favorite movie.

I looked over at him and said, "How did you know Ghostbusters is my favorite movie?"

He smiled and said, "I didn't, but it was the only one not in it's case, so I figured it was a safe bet." I smiled back at him and he leaned in and kissed me. It was another soft, sweet kiss and it left me almost breathless.

Desperate for more, I put my hand on the back of his neck and pulled him to me to deepen the kiss. He reciprocated and without breaking the kiss, went down on his knees in the floor in front of me and pulled my body towards him. His hands traveled under my shirt to stroke my back, making me feel like purring. His hands moved to the front of my shirt to begin unbuttoning and I felt him withdraw.

I opened my eyes and looked at him and his eyes were completely dilated and his jaw was clenched. He pressed his forehead to mine and said, "We've got to get to number five fast. I may combust." I looked up into his beautiful chocolate eyes and said, completely out of the blue, "Coffee! We had coffee!"

Ranger looked completely confused and I continued, "We had coffee last week. Then we went to Chicago Friday night, you came to my apartment Saturday morning and we had lunch at your place later. Today's date IS number five."

Ranger's eyes dilated even further and he said, "Oh, thank God" and grabbed me for a bone-melting kiss. His tongue felt like heaven moving against mine and I moved my body so that I could wrap my legs around him. He broke from my mouth to trail kisses along my neck down to my collarbone. He finished unbuttoning my shirt and pushed it from my shoulders. Then he started on my pants. I lifted my hips so that he could pull them off.

When he was finished, his eyes raked over my body and finally came back to meet my eyes. He said in a soft voice, "Stephanie, you're beautiful." His mouth came back to mine and his tongue circled around my lips, making me arch into him. His mouth worked its way down while his hands removed my bra. He took both breasts in his hands and leaned down to flick each nipple with his tongue before sucking the nipple into his mouth. I groaned and reached for him, desperate to have him naked and inside me. He got the hint and unbuttoned his shirt, revealing the most beautiful chest I have ever seen.

I sat up, wanting to touch him and run my tongue along his beautiful body, but he gently pushed me back down saying, "Oh, no, I've been waiting for this since the day I met you. I'm not giving up my turn just yet."

I felt another wash of heat through my body as his mouth returned to me. He lifted my leg and trailed his mouth along my calf, moving upward. When he got to the scar on my thigh, he stuck his tongue out and trailed the length of it, making me shiver in response. With that action, he ensured that every time I thought about that scar, I would think about his mouth instead of the ugly deed that caused it.

He moved his hands to my panties, hooking his thumbs on either side and easing them down. His hand moved to trail along the outside of my sex and he whispered again, "So beautiful." I closed my eyes and threw my head back when I felt his tongue on my clit. He hooked one of my legs over his shoulder and feasted on me. I felt my orgasm building and I was panting as my body exploded.

I felt his mouth return to mine and could only kiss him lazily, my body recovering from my first social orgasm in ages. Soon, though, my need for him came rushing back and I pulled him to me, kissing him hard and demanding more. He pulled back and I realized that sometime during my orgasm, he had removed his pants. I watched as he rolled a condom on the most beautiful specimen of a man I have ever seen in my life. His cock was large and thick and I simultaneously wanted him inside me and in my mouth. I reached for him and he shook his head, saying, "Babe, if you touch me, it'll be all over and I need to be inside you right now."

I laid back and just enjoyed the sensations as he entered me slowly, stretching me and making me arch against him for more. When he was fully sheathed inside me, I wrapped my legs around his hips, silently begging him to move. He complied, his head thrown back, and gritting his teeth, he began to move slowly. "Babe, you're so tight, so hot."

I moved with him, against him, desperate for more of him. I could tell he was trying to be slow and gentle, but that wasn't what I wanted. I ground out, "Ranger, slow and gentle can wait. Fuck me." He growled and started pumping into me faster. I grabbed a sofa pillow with each hand and held on.

I could feel another orgasm building and Ranger must have sensed it, too, because he took his hand and flicked my clit, once, twice and I exploded, screaming my orgasm and his name. He was a beat after me, his cock stiffening inside of me as he came. He collapsed on top of me, his head resting against me chest as we both came back down to reality.

A/N: I'm scheduled for surgery on Tuesday, but I'm going to try and get another chapter out before then. Please read and review!


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: The primary characters in this story belong to Janet Evanovich. I make no money for this work. While I work in healthcare, the names and places detailed in this story are not based on specific persons.

A/N: Thank you all so much for the reviews. I hope you like this update as well. Thanks to FairTaxGirl and Margaret Fowler for reviewing this for me.

_Previously:_

_I could feel another orgasm building and Ranger must have sensed it, too, because he took his hand and flicked my clit, once, twice and I exploded, screaming my orgasm and his name. He was a beat after me, his cock stiffening inside of me as he came. He collapsed on top of me, his head resting against my chest as we both came back down to reality. _

Control Chapter 11

After a moment of rest, Ranger picked me up and carried me to my bed. At 5'6, I'm not a petite woman by any means, and the fact that he could pick me up so effortlessly gave me a little tickle of pleasure. It was a wonderful feeling of being safe and feeling wanted and cherished all at the same time. He laid me down, kissed me gently and said, "Be right back." I heard him go to the bathroom and then into the kitchen. He was wearing boxers when he came back with a bottle of water for both of us. He sat on the bed, leaning against the headboard and pulled me up to rest my head in his lap.

While I was lying there, my head in lap and him stroking my hair, I realized that I not only really liked this man, I was in serious danger of falling in love with him. He's perfect: intelligent, independent, successful, compassionate, caring, protective without being smothering and handsome enough to take my breath away. He also just proved without a shadow of a doubt that he is an amazing and generous lover. I had no idea if he felt the same, but I knew that he felt the spark between us and he seemed to enjoy spending time together. That was enough, for now.

In a post-orgasmic bliss and happy with my thoughts and the sudden pleasant twist my love life had taken, I sat up and began kissing his stomach, licking my way around his hard abs. I felt him harden and groan underneath me and smiled. I wanted to give him pleasure like he had given me. I kissed and licked my way up to his chest. When I raised my head to look at him, he was watching me with a mixture of lust and something else I couldn't identify on his face. He grabbed me and pulled my mouth to his, kissing me deep and hard, leaving no doubt that he was more than ready for round two. After a minute, I pulled away and leaned down to kiss and lick at his neck, biting a little in the process. He moaned and moved to reach for me again. I shook my head and said, "Uh-uh, Batman. This time it's my turn."

Ranger's POV

I laid there as Stephanie moved her mouth and hands over my body and it was all I could do not to grab her, roll her over and ram myself into her. The feel and smell of her was almost more than I could take. She worked her way back down my body and I groaned and lifted my hips as she lowered my boxers. I watched her lick her lips and then take my cock into her mouth. I hissed and threw my head back at the sensation. Her mouth was warm and wet and her tongue felt incredible flicking against the skin under my head. She took me all the way into her mouth until I could feel the back of her throat. Just the thought made me want to cum, but I was determined to be buried inside her again and tried to control myself. She increased her speed, bringing her hand up to cup my balls. I couldn't take it anymore and said, "Stephanie, please…" She raised her head enough for me to see her eyes, but I could also see her full lips just above my cock and the sight made me lose control.

I grabbed her, one hand buried in her hair and pulled her mouth to mine. My other hand was reaching for a condom on the bedside table. She stilled my hand and took the foil packet from me, opened it and slowly slid it down my shaft. Then she straddled me and looked into my eyes as she slowly took my length into her tight pussy.

She leaned over me slightly, allowing me to play with her beautiful breasts. She had the creamiest skin and the pinkest nipples I had ever seen. I licked and suckled with my tongue and then bit down gently on one nipple while rolling the other with my fingers. She threw her head back and began to ride me faster. I could feel that she was as close to the edge as I was, so I began to thrust up into her as she rode me, two seconds after I felt her contractions begin, I came harder than I ever had in my life, calling her name and squeezing her to me as I emptied myself.

She lay on top of me for a moment before sliding off to lie next to me and put her head on my chest. I kept my arm around her, enjoying the feel of her body against mine. She looked up at me, smiled, gave me a gentle kiss and said, "Nap." Within 30 seconds she was asleep and I could only laugh silently. While I was positively satisfied, sleep was the last thing on my mind, so I lay there, allowing my mind to wander, thinking about the incredible woman next to me.

It felt somewhat strange, but wonderful, to allow her to take the lead. I couldn't remember ever allowing, or wanting, a woman to be in control in this way before. While I've always more than enjoyed sex, this was different. While I didn't wholly recognize the feeling, I thought I might be falling in love with her. I didn't know if that was a good thing or not, it certainly wasn't something I was looking for. I lead a very busy, very private life. While I almost always welcomed sex with the right woman, I never opened myself to a relationship. I had never wanted that before, not even with my ex-wife. With Stephanie, however, I could see myself eventually wanting more than this. I could envision her in my life. She fit in with my men and didn't seem afraid of them. She's beautiful, funny, kind, intelligent and intuitive. She's not clingy and doesn't seem overly impressed by material things. She's good at work and seems to love helping people.

Before I could get anymore lost in my thoughts, I heard my cell phone ringing. I got up, trying not to wake Steph and went in search of my pants. It was Ram at the guard gate. Apparently Michael threw a little temper tantrum when Ram told him he couldn't come in. Ram wanted to know if I wanted him to call the police or handle it in-house. I told him I'd be right down. It was time this matter received some personal attention.

I dressed and leaned down on the bed and said, "Babe, Michael's at the gate. I'm going to have a talk with him."

Steph yawned and said, "Ummm…okay. Don't kill him, the police hate that."

I could only stare at her for a moment before saying, "That's it? You're not going to warn me or tell me not to behave like a caveman or tell me to be careful?"

Steph said, "Ranger, I don't think I could worry about anything right now. If I knew there was a nuclear warhead headed for this building, I don't think I could move an inch." She then gave a low, sexy laugh and said, "But I'd like to see you in a loin cloth."

I felt a rush of male pride and in a rare moment of playfulness, leaned down and bit her gently on her ass. She gasped and laughed with me.

I finished dressing and headed down to the guard gate, slamming my blank face in place. This would be fun and educational.

A/N: I'm sorry this was so short, but I was desperately trying to get a chapter out before my surgery. I wasn't trying to leave a cliffie, I just couldn't take it any further tonight. Hopefully, I'll be able to resume writing in a few days. Thank you all for the well wishes and prayers, they really mean the world to me. Please R&R, I would love to have lots of reviews to respond to when I feel better!


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: The primary characters in this story belong to Janet Evanovich. I make no money for this work. While I work in healthcare, the names and places detailed in this story are not based on specific persons.

A/N: Thank you all so much for the reviews. I hope you like this update as well. Thanks to FairTaxGirl (for helping me get my had out of my ass!) and Margaret Fowler for reviewing this for me.

_Previously:_

_I felt a rush of male pride and in a rare moment of playfulness, leaned down and bit her gently on her ass. She gasped and laughed with me. I finished dressing and headed down to the guard gate, slamming my blank face in place. This would be fun and educational. _

Control Chapter 12

Ranger's POV

I walked into the guard shack to find Ram standing in front of the door and Michael pacing in the small guard shack and mouthing off. "Who the fuck do you think you are? You can't keep me here. I'll have your fucking job!"

Ram was silent, standing in front of the door with his arms crossed. I entered behind him and motioned for him to leave. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Ram give a little smirk as he left, no doubt looking forward to cleaning up the blood of this mouthy little asshole.

Michael looked up as Ram left and surveyed me. I could see his eyes taking in the Glock at my side and the knife beside it. "Great, another fucking thug. Who the fuck do you people think you are? You think you can intimidate me with your gun and your knife? You don't know who I am or who my family is. I'll fucking ruin you."

I raised my eyebrow and slowly lifted my weapons off my body, placing them on the desk. When I was finished, I crossed my arms and stared, giving him time to get good and scared. To give him credit, Michael did seem smart enough to know that me removing my weapons was not a gesture of peace, but an invitation for something more physical. He stopped pacing and stared back at me, sweat breaking out on his forehead.

After a few moments, Michael, speaking in a much calmer voice, said, "Who are you and what do you want?"

I smiled my best feral smile and said, "My name is Ranger and all you really need to know is that I am the man in Stephanie's life now. The police will be notified that you broke the restraining order by attempting to see Stephanie." I stepped forward until I could smell what he'd had for lunch on his breath and spoke quietly. "If it happens again, though, I won't call the police. We'll handle this in a nice, quiet place of my choosing. Do you understand?"

Michael, face red and breathing heavily, nodded. I moved my head to indicate he could leave and he left quickly, giving me a wide berth on his way out the door.

As I watched him drive away, I looked over to Ram and Zero and they nodded once. They had gotten the trackers on his car. Now we would know where he was at all times.

While I had enjoyed the confrontation, particularly the fear I was able to instill in him, I knew it wouldn't be that easy to be rid of him. Things were never this easy, but we needed the restraining order violation before we could take things further.

Walking back to the apartment, I called Tank to notify him that the trackers were in place and to keep an eye on them. I stopped at my car and picked up my gym bag with my change of clothes.

When I got back to the apartment, Steph was still out like a light, so I called Pino's and ordered her a meatball sub and myself a salad. I showered quickly and put on clean clothes. The food arrived after about 30 minutes and I took the meatball sub into the bedroom and held it under Steph's nose. She stirred and moaned. Lula had told me that the meatball sub from Pino's was one of Steph's favorites. She slowly opened her eyes and gave me a lazy, sexy smile that made my breath hitch. She stretched and said "Hi," leaning over to give me a slow kiss.

"Come on sleepy-head. Let's eat." I watched her climb out of bed and felt the urge to haul her right back. She walked naked into the bathroom and came out wearing a short, silky black robe.

I got her a drink and we sat at the table eating, but not saying much. Her cheeks were flushed and her hair was wild. She had a little sauce on her chin. She looked beautiful.

Stephanie's POV

Ranger and I sat there together, having dinner, with me lost in the after-glow of great sex. He didn't look anymore after-glowy than he usually did, other than he seemed to smile a little faster than usual.

Ranger told me what had happened with Michael and I amused myself for a moment hoping that Michael had peed his pants.

We made plans to see each other the following evening. He had a late night job to do and I needed to get some rest before work in the morning. We kissed goodnight and I felt myself wishing for him to stay. He must have read my thoughts on my face because he said, "Babe, I've had this job planned for several days, or you couldn't kick me out of here tonight."

I smiled and gave him another quick kiss as he left. I admired the view until he turned the corner.

Thanks to a day of great sex, I slept well and was up and at work bright and early the next morning. I checked on how all my patients had done over the weekend and no one had any problems. We didn't have any new admissions, so I would have time to spend getting discharge plans ready and talking with some of the patients about their after-care plans. I also had a growing list of recently discharged patients that I wanted to call and check up on, Mr. Hamilton chief among them. When patients left the acute unit, I had no internal responsibility to follow-up with them, but unless they went to another program, I felt that I should at least speak with them a few times after they left to ensure they were okay and offer more support if needed. Some weeks, these calls took a lot of extra time, but it eased my mind when I spoke with the veterans, so I felt like it was time well spent.

Dr. White, Cheryl and I met early in the morning to plan discharges and as I suspected, Cal would be discharged today. After the meeting, I went in to talk to him and explain the discharge procedure. I set up appointments with an outpatient psychiatrist to manage his medication and scheduled him to begin a PTSD support group that I set up off campus. Cheryl and I had trained several veterans to facilitate this as a vet-to-vet group and so far it had been very successful. They met off campus for the veterans that weren't comfortable coming to the VA. Occasionally, they asked Cheryl and I to come and talk about a specific issue or to help direct someone toward more intensive help if it seemed they were spiraling out of control. Finally, I set him up to begin his Prolonged Exposure Therapy on Friday with Dr. Michaels. I had called in a favor to get this psychologist to do the PE because I felt he would be a good match for Cal. He was a large, heavily tattooed former Marine and there was nothing Cal could throw at him that he hadn't seen before. He also tended to know just when to push his patients and when to back off. I prayed that this match would work as well as I hoped. If the patient and psychologist working together in PE didn't mesh well, it didn't bode well for the success of the therapy.

I gave Cal a list of his appointments and talked with him about how he was feeling. He was ready to go home, but was understandably anxious about beginning his regular routine again.

"I'm nervous, but I feel stronger." Cal said.

I reiterated to him that the people around him would be a good support for him and that he was welcome to call me at any time. Cal thanked me for the help and asked to borrow my phone to call for a ride to take him home. I was about to walk him to my office to use the phone when I realized that I was going to his home tonight.

"Cal, I'm going to Haywood when I get off this afternoon. I can give you a ride home if you want."

"Thanks, Stephanie, that would be great. That gives me the rest of the day to talk to some of the guys here before I leave." After the first several days on the unit, Cal had started to bond with some of the other vets. They talked and played cards and made plans to see each other after discharge. Cal had also befriended one of the older Vietnam veterans, Mr. Brady. Mr. Brady had been in and out of the VA for years and was well known by all the staff. He never had visitors and always kept to himself. I knew that Mr. Brady felt like he had alienated his family years ago when his PTSD symptoms were so violent. After a few bad fights with his brother and some verbal altercations with other family members, he had completely cut himself off.

Cal had confided in me that his father had been a Vietnam veteran and that Mr. Brady reminded him of his father. "My dad was never violent with us, but I think he was afraid that he would be. I wasn't born yet when he got home from the war, but I've heard stories that he drank a lot for a few years and got into some bar fights before my mother finally told him he had to pull it together or get out. He stopped the drinking and the fighting, but he was never really there. He kept himself distanced by working long hours and never saying much. I never understood why he was that way until I saw Mr. Brady. Now I know that Dad felt like he didn't have a choice."

Cal's thoughts about his father were heart breaking. I had seen a lot of this, particularly among multi-generational military families. PTSD is a hard thing for a spouse and children to understand until they're further removed from it by the passage of age and time.

I went down my to-do list for the day and made a lot of follow-up calls. I tried Mr. Hamilton several times, but only got his voice mail. I spoke with the Suicide Prevention Coordinator, who assured me she had spoken with him over the weekend, which made me feel better. Hopefully, he would call me back and come in for his appointment later today.

The day passed quickly and I picked up Cal from the unit and we made our way over to Haywood. The closer we got, the more Cal seemed to vibrate from nerves. He twitched, shook his legs and crossed and uncrossed his arms. When we were about a block away from the building, I pulled over and turned to look at him.

"Cal?"

He turned to look at me and I could see the misery in his face. I knew that he was afraid that when he walked back in that building, his symptoms would start again and he would feel out of control.

I took his hand and said, "Cal, you know what's going on now. It'll take some time to adjust, but it will be fine. The men in that building like and respect you and they will help you in any way they can."

Cal was silent for a moment before he replied. "I know they will help me, but I'm afraid they'll think I'm crazy. What if they don't trust me to partner with them on a job or they jump up and leave every time I enter a room?"

"Cal, that's not going to happen. First of all, you'll be on light duty for a while. That will help you learn to trust yourself again and the guys learn to trust you again, too. These men understand what you've been going through. They don't think you're crazy."

Cal took a few deep breaths and nodded at me. I started the car again and turned the car toward Haywood. The garage opened when we got close enough to enter.

After we parked, Cal shot me a look and then got out. When we were halfway to the elevator, Lester came out of the stairwell and yelled, "Hey, asshole, we thought you'd never get here!" That seemed to loosen the tension and they did a swift man-hug and got in the elevator with me.

Lester turned to me and said, "Hey, Beautiful, the boss is on five waiting for you." He wagged his eyebrows at me and I had to laugh.

We found Ranger in the control room. Everyone got up and spoke to Cal and Ranger introduced me to the men in the room I didn't know yet, a huge blond guy named Hal and a smaller Hispanic man with tear-drop tattoos named Hector.

I chatted with everyone for a moment and Ranger and I were about to head up to his apartment for dinner when the police band radio cut in announcing a probable suicide. I stiffened and felt a jolt of fear go through me. Ranger looked at me and put his arm around me. "Babe?" I could only hold my breath and listen for the name. Please not Mr. Hamilton, please. The dispatch continued with the name: Ben Hamilton. Mr. Hamilton. I gasped and felt tears start to fall when Ranger rushed me out of the control room and up to his apartment.

A/N: Thank you all so much for the reviews, prayers and well wishes for my surgery. The surgery went well and I'm feeling much better than I expected.


	13. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: The primary characters in this story belong to Janet Evanovich. I make no money for this work. While I work in healthcare, the names and places detailed in this story are not based on specific persons.

A/N: Thank you all so much for the reviews. I hope you like this update as well. Thanks to FairTaxGirl and Margaret Fowler for reviewing this for me.

_Previously:_

_I chatted with everyone for a moment and Ranger and I were about to head up to his apartment for dinner when the police band radio cut in announcing a probable suicide. I stiffened and felt a jolt of fear go through me. Ranger looked at me and put his arm around me. "Babe?" I could only hold my breath and listen for the name. Please not Mr. Hamilton, please. The dispatch continued with the name: Ben Hamilton. Mr. Hamilton. I gasped and felt tears start to fall when Ranger rushed me out of the control room and up to his apartment. _

Control Chapter 13

I didn't remember leaving the control room or getting on the elevator. When Ranger put his hands on my face and tilted me up to look at him, I realized we were in his living room. He wiped my tears away with his thumbs and said, "Babe, did you know that man?"

I nodded, still crying. "He's who Cheryl called me about Saturday. I saw him. I knew he wasn't well. I shouldn't have let him go home alone. I should have done something."

I was sobbing now, the pain in my chest searing. Ranger pulled me over to the sofa and sat down, pulling me into his lap. He held me while I cried, talking softly and stroking my back.

When I had begun to quiet down, Ranger said, "Stephanie, I've seen you work and I know that you did everything you could to help this man. You couldn't tie him down and force him to get help. This is not your fault."

I shook my head, and said, "I should have known. I knew he wasn't ready to be discharged. I tried to get him to talk to one of the doctors when I saw him this weekend. I should have tried harder. I should have thought of something to say that would've convinced him to stay in the hospital."

Ranger shook his head and said, "Babe, you know better than that. You know that you can't help someone who doesn't want help."

My mind knew that Ranger was right and I had been the one telling these same things to colleagues when they were feeling the way I was now. My heart, however, knew that this man had been two feet from me 48 hours ago. I had been through similar experiences in the past and knew that over time I would realize that I had done everything I could, but right now I felt heartbreak and deep, throbbing guilt.

I looked up at Ranger and said, "Thank you for letting me sob all over you."

Ranger gave me a small smile and said, "Anytime."

I asked to use his bathroom to clean my face up and then used his phone to call Cheryl and tell her the bad news. Cheryl was as devastated as I was and we cried together for a few minutes before we disconnected. I also called the Suicide Prevention Coordinator (SPC) to notify her of the death. She would be responsible for coordinating with the police to get more information about the death. I knew that there would be an investigation into Mr. Hamilton's recent treatment and Cheryl, Dr. White and I were likely to be called to give statements.

I walked back into the front of the apartment after I made my calls and I realized that Ranger had planned a candlelit dinner for us. The candles and food must have been there the whole time and I didn't notice.

Ranger was sitting on the sofa waiting for me and I said, "Ranger, I'm sorry I ruined your plans for the evening, but I don't think I'm going to be very good company. I should probably go home."

Ranger stood and walked over to me, taking me by the hand. "Babe, you don't have to be cheerful and fun all the time. Stay and let me take care of you tonight. We don't have to talk and you don't have to pretend to be okay. We can have a good meal and watch a little television. Or you can cry and throw things. Whatever you want to do is fine by me."

I had to smile. This man was way to good for me. Most men would be dying to get rid of the emotional mess in front of them. He had once again proven that he wasn't most men.

"Thanks, Ranger. Let's eat. I'm starving and whatever is on that table smells wonderful." He held my chair out for me and pulled the cover off the plate in front of me. My eyes went wide with delight. It was some type of pasta dish, swimming in Alfredo sauce and chunks of sausage. There was a thick chunk of garlic bread on the side of the plate and he was pouring me a large glass of white wine.

Ranger sat down across from me and smiled at the look on my face. "I gave Ella a free hand for dinner. She thought you might like this. She also made some type of dessert, which she was thrilled about since I never eat desert."

I took a bite of the pasta and moaned. "Ella is a goddess." He nodded and said, "I don't know what I'd do without her. She cleans the majority of this building, cooks for me and also stocks food in the break room for the men on shift. Her husband is the maintenance man for the building and they live on 6th floor."

I ate while he talked and said, "I don't know what you pay her, but she deserves a raise. A big one."

Ranger smiled and said, "I agree."

The rest of the evening was quiet, other than my moaning. Nothing quite helps emotional distress like good, fatty foods and alcohol. After dinner, we lounged on the sofa, watching television until I began to yawn and told him I'd better head home.

Ranger said, "Babe, why don't you stay here tonight? You're tired and upset and I have great sheets." He smiled.

I smiled back, but said, "I'd love to, but I don't have a change of clothes or any makeup with me and I've got to be at work fairly early tomorrow."

Ranger said, "I think I can help with that problem. Come with me." He grabbed my hand and pulled me up, walking me into his bedroom. He opened the closet and pointed to a small selection of women's clothes with the tags still on them. They were all my size and looked like the style of clothing I preferred.

I looked up at Ranger and said, "I don't understand. You bought me clothes?"

Ranger shook his head and said, "Yesterday, while you were asleep, I looked at your clothes to get your size. I also looked at your cosmetics drawer and told Ella what I could recall. She bought you a few outfits and some make-up to have here in case you spent the night. I wanted you to be comfortable here." He looked a little wary that I might be offended, but I was oddly pleased that he went to these lengths to make me comfortable in his home.

"Thank you, Ranger. This was very nice of you." I said. He looked relieved.

I used the bathroom and changed into one of his t-shirts. When I came out, he was already in bed, holding the covers open for me. I crawled in and snuggled against him, feeling a little needy after the news I had gotten tonight. Ranger rolled me onto my side and wrapped his arm around me, holding me close. I had the insane urge to cry again thinking that this man may just be too good to be true. The next moment I was asleep. Ranger was right, his sheets were great.

I woke up very early the next morning. It was 4:30, which was unheard of for me. I went to the bathroom and then crawled back in bed next to Ranger. He was on his back and I couldn't help but admire him as I lay there next to him. He truly was the best looking man I'd ever seen in my life. I couldn't resist running my hands along his chest, feeling his smooth skin and hard muscles. I was running my hand over his abs when he caught my hand with his. I looked up at him and he was clearly waiting for permission.

Suddenly I wanted him so bad, my mouth went dry. I stared at his mouth for a moment before slowly lowering my mouth to his. Ranger was evidently tired of waiting and raised his head to meet me halfway, flipping me onto my back in the process.

We kissed gently at first, our tongues darting out to meet each other. Once Ranger's hands started to wander, I deepened the kiss, trying to let him know how much I needed this and needed him. The emotional turmoil of the night before had left me feeling empty and needy. I wrapped my legs around him and pulled him closer into me, thrilled to feel the signs of his arousal against my thigh. Ranger seemed to understand what I needed and was eager to give it to me.

He murmured, "One second," and got off of me to reach into the nightstand. I pulled on his arm and said, "I'm on the pill and I'm safe. I'd like to feel you. Just you."

Ranger closed his eyes for a moment and then covered me with his body again. "You're sure?" he asked. In response, I let my own hands wander, found his cock and guided him inside of me. Ranger stilled, not moving, and groaned, "Babe, you're so hot, so tight. You feel so good." He began moving slowly. I think he was determined to make it last for both of us. I, however, was determined to have the mother of all orgasms and urged him on, tilting my hips up to meet him as he thrust and putting my hands on his ass to pull him deeper into me.

His mouth alternated between deep, searing kisses and his mouth at my neck and nipples, laving me until I screamed out my orgasm. Ranger came right after me, stiffening and giving a groan of pleasure as he came inside me. He stayed on top of me for a moment, putting his forehead against mine and feathering soft kisses around my face. Eventually, he rolled off of me onto his back and moved me to rest my head on his chest. God, this felt wonderful. The sex was incredible, but even more it was the intimacy I felt with him. I'd only known him a week, but I already felt so close to him emotionally, like we were on the same wavelength.

I think I dozed for a little while when Ranger shook me awake and told me it was time to get up. I checked the clock and it was 6:00. I got up and headed for the bathroom. Ranger stopped me and asked if I had time for breakfast. I nodded and said, "I've always got time for food."

After showering in his amazing shower, that had my favorite brand of shower gel, I got out and started rifling around, looking for the make up he had gotten for me. Under the sink, I found a caddy and pulled it out. Ranger was wrong about Ella getting me my usual brands. I tended towards drugstore brands and Ella had gotten me the more upscale Chanel products. She had everything I could possibly need, including hair gel and my favorite perfume.

I came out of the bathroom and dressed in something that yesterday's shoes would match. Ella had also gotten me a pretty bra and panty set in ivory lace.

After I finished dressing, I went to the kitchen, where Ranger was waiting with breakfast already on the bar. I looked at him and he said, "Ella apparently knew you were here and was already ready with breakfast. I looked down and she had made pancakes and sausage. Ranger had made us coffee and orange juice and all I could think was it would be wonderful to wake up this way everyday.

We sat down to eat and I noticed ranger had what looked like granola cereal and fruit. I raised my eyebrows at him and he said, "Ella knows I like to eat healthy."

"She's a wonderful cook. I can't wait to meet her."

Ranger smiled and said, "She's very curious about you. I think she was hoping for a look at you when she brought breakfast up."

"Why would she be curious about me?" I asked.

"Babe, you and Ella are the only women besides clients who've ever been in this building," he explained.

I was confused. "You can't tell me that the guys have never brought a date here. And what about you?"

Ranger said, "When I opened this building, I made it very clear that whatever the guys did on their off time was not to be brought back to this building. While a good many of them live on site, this is first and foremost a business and I didn't want those distractions or that image in my building."

I nodded. I guessed that made since. "And what about you?"

Ranger said, "What about me?"

"Are you telling me you've never brought a woman here? And how long have you been in this building?"

Ranger replied, "Three years and no, I've never brought a woman here."

I found that very hard to believe. Ranger is a walking wet dream. Women must throw themselves at him everywhere he goes. I also couldn't picture him living like a hermit. He's a passionate man that obviously knows his way around a woman's body and he had also just as obviously not taken a vow of celibacy. I replied simply, "I don't understand."

Ranger focused on his food for a moment before saying, "Babe, I'm not a hermit and in the past, when I've seen a woman, I go to her place or somewhere else, but I've never let a woman into my home before. Not this home or any other I've had since my divorce. I don't date and the women I've seen in the past had a perfect understanding of that."

My forehead scrunched up and I said, "But I would call what we've been doing dating."

He nodded and said, "So would I, but they are the first 'dates' I've had since I was a teenager."

I had only a vague understanding of what he was saying. I asked, "So you basically just hook up for sex?"

Ranger winced, but nodded. "I know it sounds bad, but I live a dangerous life and have never had a real desire for a relationship before."

I said, "I'm not being judgmental, I'm just surprised. If you don't usually let women into your life, why am I here?"

Ranger said, "I think it's probably a little early for any type of serious talk, but I like you, more than I've liked anyone in a long time. More importantly, when I first met you, I knew that I could trust you. Trust doesn't come easily for me and there are few people that I can say I truly trust and respect. You are one of those people. I'm not saying I'll be a success at having a relationship, but I would like to try and see where this goes." He looked at me and seemed to be waiting for a response.

The pancakes almost fell out of my mouth. I had been thinking that I was falling in love with him and he was offering us a chance at a relationship. I was never this lucky in love.

I cleared my throat and said, "Ranger, I really like you, too. I've never been opposed to relationships, but I've never been very good at them either. I'd like to try, too."

Ranger smiled and leaned over to give me a lingering kiss. He tasted like strawberries. I smiled and had an urge to giggle with glee, and then I remembered what work would be like today after Mr. Hamilton's death.

"I've got to get going." I said.

Ranger nodded and said, "I know. Call me if you need anything today. I can pick up dinner and bring it to your place if you'd like."

I nodded and said, "That would be great."

Ranger walked me down to the garage, giving me a soft, sweet goodbye kiss. I drove off simultaneously filled with happiness with the man in my life and dread at the thought of work.

A/N: I wanted to include some statistics about suicide in America. I realize that this is a depressing topic, but it's an issue that affects a lot of people, not just veterans. If you know anyone who needs help, please encourage them to call the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800-273-TALK.

The following are the most recent statistics for the US:

In 2005 (the last year for which there are detailed statistics) there were 32,637 suicides in the United States. White males are an overwhelming majority at 23,478. For the overall average, this equals to about 11 people per 100,000. The suicide rate among veterans is double that of the general population.


	14. Chapter 14

Disclaimer: The primary characters in this story belong to Janet Evanovich. I make no money for this work. While I work in healthcare, the names and places detailed in this story are not based on specific persons.

A/N: Thank you all so much for the reviews. I hope you like this update as well. Thanks to FairTaxGirl and Margaret Fowler for reviewing this for me.

_Previously:_

_Ranger walked me down to the garage, giving me a soft, sweet goodbye kiss. I drove off simultaneously filled with happiness with the man in my life and dread at the thought of work. _

Control Chapter 14

When I got to work, I noticed that Cheryl had waited for me in the parking lot. I walked over to meet her and we hugged and both sniffled, trying not to start crying again. She looked up and said, "Did you get the message I left you last night?"

"No, I stayed at Ranger's."

Cheryl's eyebrows rose and she said, "Don't think we're not coming back to that. I left you a message saying that the nursing supervisor called me last night and gave me a heads-up that we're all going to be called in at some point today to give a detailed report about Mr. Hamilton's treatment and our last encounter with him. They're going to do a full RCA." ***see end of chapter for note

I nodded. I had expected that. My fear, though, was that it could easily turn in to a witch-hunt. I knew a social worker at another VA that had almost lost his job during an RCA. There was absolutely nothing he could have done about the situation he was in, but the brass believed somebody had to be the "fall guy" and the social worker was it.

We walked up to the unit together, both dreading the day ahead of us. We knew there was nothing to do but wait to be called. Dr. White was waiting for us when we got to the unit. He was as upset as we were. While he had a hard time showing it, he truly did care about our patients and as the treating physician, he felt the sense of failure maybe more acutely than Cheryl and I.

We tried to go on with our normal routines, but we were all dreading being called about Mr. Hamilton. We were all afraid that we would hear that we had done something wrong and caused this terrible incident. It's a hard thing to think that something you did or didn't do caused someone to take his own life and being questioned about it is even worse.

At 10:00, Cheryl was called. At 10:15, Dr. White was called and at 10:45, I got the call to come to the Chief of Social Works office. I had so hoped Derek wouldn't be on this committee, but I guess I've had too many orgasms over the past few days and fate decided I needed some shit to go along with them, just to even out the good and bad in my life.

The chief's office is across campus, so it's about a 15-minute walk from the acute unit. I walked slowly; trying to ready myself for the questions they would ask me. I entered the office and found Derek, the Director of Nursing, Director of Mental Health, Chief of Staff, Patient Advocate and Suicide Prevention Coordinator (SPC) waiting. Derek, apparently trying to behave in a professional manner in the company of others, stood and said, "Stephanie, how nice to see you again."

The SPC, Rita, began the proceedings by explaining the reason for the meeting. "Stephanie, I'm sure you're familiar with Root Cause Analysis (RCA) Investigations?" I nodded and she continued, "The purpose of this investigation is to determine if Trenton VAMC's staff could have done anything differently or if the clinicians did everything possible to help and support Ben Hamilton. We will ask you some questions and please keep in mind that this is not a personal attack against you or the rest of the staff, it is simply an investigation into the clinical methods used in treating this veteran." I nodded again and Rita said, "First, I would like to take your statement about what you recall about Mr. Hamilton, particularly your last contact with him." The stenographer was busily typing in a corner and the noise frayed my nerves even more.

Taking a deep breath, I tried to remember everything I could about Mr. Hamilton and said, ""Mr. Hamilton had been on the acute unit several times over the past year. Typically, he would come in complaining of severe depression, difficulty sleeping and eating, feelings of hopelessness and worthlessness, etc. He did not have a good support system. When I spoke with him on Saturday, and he told me that his wife had left him and he didn't think there was any hope for reconciliation. He was obviously down, but denied any thoughts of harming himself. I asked him to see the POD before he left campus, but he said he didn't want to be admitted and would see his regular doctor on Monday. I told him to call the unit if he needed anything and asked Rita to contact him over the weekend."

Rita cut in and said, "I can confirm that I spoke with Mr. Hamilton on Sunday and he stated he was 'doing okay." He specifically denied any thoughts of suicide and stated he knew to phone the hospital or the National Suicide Prevention number if he needed help."

Derek spoke up at this point and said, "Since Stephanie is in my service line I feel that I should complete the rest of the questioning." He looked at me and said, "Did you feel that this patient would be safe left to his own devices?"

I bristled at his wording. We had NOT left Mr. Hamilton to 'his own devices.' I thought about my own wording and said, "Mr. Hamilton was not left alone. He was offered support and assistance. Rita contacted him over the weekend to check on him and offer additional support if needed. He had a doctor's appointment scheduled for Monday. We were all as available as possible to help him. No, I did not feel good about him declining admission, but it was his decision."

Derek continued, "Why did you not file an Order of Commitment?"

The ridiculous thing was that he should have known the answer to this. I supplied, "First of all, it is a physician that files an Order of Commitment, not a social worker. Second of all, there must be an overt act to serve as proof that a patient is a danger to himself or others. There was no overt act. Mr. Hamilton was depressed, but had never tried to harm himself or anyone else in the past. He denied SI at our last meeting. We can only use words and actions in a commitment, not feelings and supposition."

Derek gave me a tight smile and said, "Would you say you have your overt act now?"

I could feel my face flood with color. I couldn't believe he had said that. While I knew Derek was an asshole, I'd never imagined he could be so unspeakably cruel and callous. We were talking about a man's life and he was acting like it was a personal vendetta to accuse me of wrongdoing. The other people in the room were watching Derek with a mixture of horror and disbelief on their faces. The senior staff member in the room, the chief of staff, finally looked at me and said, "Ms. Plum, you can go for now, but we may need you back for further questioning at a later date." I nodded and left the room as fast as I could.

I stopped in the garden before heading back to the acute unit and walked around for a while. This was one of my favorite places on campus. It was cool and calm here and the sound of the water fountains always made me relax. I felt someone approaching and looked up to see Michael stalking toward me.

I shot up and turned to head towards the doors, but Michael grabbed my arm before I could get two feet away.

Michael snarled at me, "Jesus, Stephanie. I just want to talk to you. Why do you have to act so crazy?"

Trying to pull my arm away, I said, "I don't have anything to say to you. Let me go, now!" I realized in that instant that I didn't have the panic button that Ranger had given me. It was in my purse, in my office. I could only pray that someone passed by and saw what was happening. Just as I had that thought, I heard someone calling my name and turned my head enough to see Isaac wheeling his chair towards us. He looked at my arm and looked at Michael and said calmly, "You need to let Ms. Plum go before you get her hurt."

Michael sneered at him and said, "What the fuck do you think you're going to do about it, roll me out of the way?" He laughed and said, "Get out of here old man, before you're the one that gets hurt."

Isaac looked at me and tried to let me know with his eyes that he would go for help. I prayed that he would be in time. I watched him go, thinking that even if he couldn't help, it would have been nice to have a friendly face here.

I looked back at Michael and he began dragging me into a corner of the garden, secluded between buildings. He pushed me into the concrete wall hard enough that my head slammed against the rock, bouncing me forward. I felt pain explode through my head and thought that Michael was crazier than any of us had given him credit for. I felt nauseous and knew that I had at least a mild concussion. I struggled to stay standing, not wanting to give him an even greater advantage by falling or passing out.

Michael grabbed my head, one hand on either side and put his face inches from mine. "Now, you're going to listen to me. I told you that we weren't done and I meant it. I don't know what you think you're doing running around with that fucking thug, but it stops now. You will withdraw that restraining order and we'll start seeing each other again. If you do that, I can be very nice. I can be the perfect gentleman and the man your family wants to see you with. If you don't do what I say…"

I didn't hear the rest of what Michael was saying because I saw bright colors. Bright colors connected to a very baldhead that was sneaking up behind Michael. Cal. Cal was here. I felt such sweet relief that my eyes welled up with tears. Cal's eyes met mine and in the next instant his arm was wrapped around Michael's neck, dragging him backwards. Michael had released me with the shock of someone grabbing him and I sunk to the ground.

I watched as Cal threw Michael on the ground, put his arms behind his back and cuffed him. He leaned down and said something in his ear that made Michael go completely still. In the next second, I heard Isaac screaming, "She's back here" and the garden was filled with VA police and several other veterans who had apparently come to watch or help. Cal released Michael to the police and turned towards me. He approached me slowly and knelt down beside me. He put a hand on my shoulder and said, "Stephanie, are you okay?"

I looked up at him, nodded and promptly collapsed into him.

When I came to, there was a nurse leaning over me, taking my blood pressure and checking my pulse. Cal was kneeling beside me, looking worried. The nurse said, "Young lady, did you head get hit?" It took me a few moments to think of the answer, I couldn't quite get my brain and my mouth to work together. I nodded and said slowly, "He hit my head against the wall."

The nurse said, "The doctor will need to see you, but I'm sure he'll want to get an x-ray of your head. Do you hurt anywhere else?"

"My arm hurts where he grabbed me, but I don't think it's anything but a bruise."

The nurse nodded and said, "Okay. We need to get you up to radiology to get x-rayed. I'll go get a wheelchair for you." She walked off quickly, promising to be right back.

I looked at Cal and remembered that this man who had rescued me was fighting his own demons. "Cal, are you okay?"

He gave me a tight smile and nodded. "Do you want me to help you sit up?" he asked.

"Please." He eased me up gently and I could feel the nausea return as I struggled to sit up. Cal saw it and eased me back against him, so that I was partially sitting up, but had some support.

At that moment, I looked around and saw the crowd part to let someone through. It was Ranger, running towards me. He stopped dead a foot in front of me and dropped down on his knees. He took my hand and said, "Babe, are you okay?"

Seeing him released the pent up emotions and I began sobbing. He gently eased me off of Cal and picked me up into his arms. He carried me to radiology and waited beside me as they did the x-ray. I did have a minor concussion and the doctor advised that I not be alone for 24 hours and not sleep more than two hours at a time. He offered to admit me to the local hospital for observation, but I declined. Despite the fact that I worked in a hospital, I didn't want to be admitted to one. Ranger told the doctor that he had a medic on staff and I would be staying with him and would be well taken care of.

When we were finished with the doctor, I insisted on walking, so Ranger sent Cal to get his car and bring it to the entrance of the building. Ranger kept his arm around me and eased me into the car when we got there. We drove to his building in silence, my head throbbing. When we got up to his apartment, he eased me into his bed and got me an ice pack for my head.

"Babe, you can rest for awhile, but I'll have to wake you up in two hours." I nodded and was just about to drift off when I felt his hand tenderly brush my hair out of my face and his lips place a gentle kiss on my forehead. I heard him whisper, "I'll make sure he never touches you again," before I drifted into sleep.

A/N: RCA or Root Cause Analysis is used by many corporations and public service agencies to identify problems and the causes of them. The belief is that if the cause of a problem can be identified and addressed, the problem can be prevented from happening again in the future.


	15. Chapter 15

Disclaimer: The primary characters in this story belong to Janet Evanovich. I make no money for this work. While I work in healthcare, the names and places detailed in this story are not based on specific persons.

A/N: Thank you all so much for the reviews. I hope you like this update as well. Thanks to FairTaxGirl and Margaret Fowler for reviewing this for me.

_Previously:_

"Babe, you can rest for awhile, but I'll have to wake you up in two hours." I nodded and was just about to drift off when I felt his hand tenderly brush my hair out of my face and his lips place a gentle kiss on my forehead. I heard him whisper, "I'll make sure he never touches you again," before I drifted into sleep.

Control Chapter 15

Ranger's POV:

I was sitting in a chair beside the bed watching Stephanie sleep. It was almost time to wake her again. I thought back to yesterday and the rage I felt when Cal called to tell me Michael had hurt her. Thank God Cal was there for his appointment. He said he didn't know what made him walk through the garden, but that something had told him to step aside. Cal is a good man with good instincts. Even with his own problems, he cared enough to help Stephanie and put himself and his recovery in danger. I knew I owed him and I would make sure that debt was repaid. I would also make sure that Michael suffered. A lot. The time for playing and threatening had passed. I made myself and Stephanie a promise that he would never put his hands on her again. I always keep my promises.

I had spoken with Eddie late last night and again early this morning. Michael was still in lock-up and Eddie was trying to delay his hearing as long as possible. However, we both knew that it was just a matter of time before he made bail. While I didn't think Steph was likely to work today, I had already spoken with the VA police and had a RangeMan bodyguard approved by the chief. He wouldn't be able to go onto the locked units, but that was where she was the safest. I would assign Lester, since she had already spent time with him and seemed comfortable enough with him. Lester was also friendly enough to fit in when Steph was around friends and co-workers. If this went on longer than I expected, I would rotate Lester with Hal and Tank. I would cover whatever time was needed outside of her working hours. I hoped that she would be agreeable to the bodyguard and to staying with me until this situation is resolved.

At 6:00, I called Bobby to come up to the apartment and woke Steph slowly, knowing from personal experience that she would likely be a little disoriented and possibly still dizzy and nauseous. I helped her sit up against the headboard and she looked around as if trying to remember how she had gotten here.

She declined help to the bathroom and looked a little more alert when she came out. I put my arm around her and led her to the bar in the kitchen, where I had set out a granola bar and some orange juice for her. She looked at the bar and wrinkled her nose at it, obviously not impressed. "Babe, you need to eat something light with protein. With the concussion, your stomach might not like any food right now, but since you didn't eat dinner, you need something."

There was a soft knock at the door and I went to let Bobby in. He stepped into the kitchen and I introduced him to Stephanie.

"Stephanie, this is Bobby Brown, RangeMan's medic. I'd like him to take a look at you."

She looked up at me and then Bobby and said, "Well, I guess that's okay, as long as you don't plan to weigh me."

Bobby grinned, held up his bag and said, "There's no scales in here, I promise." He sat down next to her and pulled a pen light out, checking her pupils. He then felt around the bruise on her head and checked out the bruises on her arm, which looked far worse today.

"Are you hurting anywhere else?" Bobby asked.

Steph said, "No, just my pride."

I spoke up and said, "Babe, you didn't do anything wrong. A disturbed man physically harmed you."

She sighed and said, "Ranger, I know I didn't do anything wrong yesterday, but I keep feeling like I should've seen this in Michael. I should've known. Hell, I used to work for a domestic violence shelter. I could list the signs of an abuser in my sleep. I missed everything. When he started asking me out, I was lonely and thought it would be nice to have someone to go to dinner with occasionally. Because of that, I went out with someone that I had no interest in. Now I'll pay for that by having to look over my shoulder everywhere I go."

I took her face in my hands and said, "Stephanie, you are not responsible for the whole world. You didn't do anything to make Michael act this way. Abusers are very smart and manipulative and I think you tend to want to see the best in people. That's a good thing. It makes you good at your job."

I gave her a kiss on the forehead and turned back to Bobby. He was watching me with a look of awe on his face. I'm sure all of my men were in shock that I was dating and that I actually cared about the woman. If I were not the type of leader that was in total control, I would never hear the end of this from my men. As it was, they knew better than to make comments about my private life. Well, all of them but Lester anyway.

I cleared my throat and Bobby took his cue. "Stephanie, everything looks okay, but you should rest and relax today. A concussion should be treated seriously. If you have any pain, just take Tylenol or Ibuprofen. If you start feeling worse or the nausea comes back, give me a call."

I watched as Bobby offered her his hand to shake. She smiled and shook with him, thanking him before he left the apartment. It pleased me that she seemed to genuinely like and get along with my men. They were a big part of my life and it would've been much more difficult to have a relationship with her if she was unable to handle at least minimal contact with my men.

When Bobby left, Steph and I walked back into the bedroom so that she could find something to wear other than my boxers and t-shirt. She had been so tired last night I helped her change clothes after she had had a little sleep.

"Babe, do you need to call in to work?" I asked.

She groaned and nodded and I retrieved her phone from the bedroom. She texted Cheryl but had to call Derek, since he was her immediate supervisor.

Stephanie POV:

I didn't want to talk to Derek, especially after his behavior towards me yesterday. It was only 7:00, so thankfully he wasn't in the office yet and I left a message on his voice mail that I wouldn't be in today. I hung up and looked over at Ranger, trying to think of the words I wanted to say.

I began, "Ranger, I want to thank you for yesterday. I couldn't have gone home alone after what happened. Thank you for taking care of me and being so thoughtful." I leaned over, leaning into him and gave him a brief kiss.

Ranger smiled and said, "My pleasure, Babe." He hesitated momentarily and said, "We need to talk about Michael."

I nodded and waited for him to continue.

"Eddie has kept in touch with me and Michael is still in lock-up. Eddie and your other friends Carl Costanza and Big Dog are trying everything they can to keep him there for as long as possible. I've also called in a few favors to keep him there at least a few days. He will make bail eventually, though. He's charged with assault, harassment and violating the restraining order. We need to go to the station this morning so Eddie can take your statement. Also, I've spoken with the VA police chief and gotten clearance to have a man on you while you're at work until this is resolved."

"Ranger, if you're expecting a fight about the bodyguard, don't worry. Right now, I'd take him in the bathroom with me. Yesterday really freaked me out and I don't ever want anything like that to happen again. It had already been such a bad day and I wasn't paying attention to anything when Michael walked up."

Ranger raised one eyebrow and said, "What happened before you saw Michael?"

I sighed and explained about the investigation and what Derek had said to me. I saw the muscle in his jaw twitch and knew he was thinking of pounding Derek into the ground. "Ranger, believe me, you can't want to smack Derek more than I do, but you can't solve all my problems for me. I'll deal with him in my own way."

Ranger nodded and said, "Let me know if you change your mind."

I enjoyed a brief mental image of Derek bound and gagged with me approaching him with a pair of pliers to remove each on of his fingernails. Slowly.

I was pulled out of vengeful bitch mode by Ranger saying, "I'd like it if you would stay here with me until the problem with Michael is resolved."

I was surprised. Just yesterday he'd told me that I was the only woman he ever brought to his home. I liked that, really liked it, but I didn't want to crowd him and I didn't want to be crowded myself.

Speaking carefully, I said, "Ranger, I really appreciate that, but we're just getting to know each other. I really like you and I don't want to risk us getting sick of each other just when we're getting to know each other."

Ranger smiled and said, "I don't think it'll be a problem. I'll be at work all day. You can lounge around and watch television, use the computer or just sleep. If you need to go somewhere before I'm off shift, Lester can take you. We won't be under each others' feet all the time, Babe."

I was still hesitant. I'm used to my privacy, at least in my own home and I knew Ranger was a man who valued privacy as well. Ranger said, "Babe, think of it this way, I was planning on us spending every night together anyway. This just guarantees it." He gave me one of his beautiful smiles and I could only nod and say, "Okay, but don't blame me when you find clothes all over the floor, or the kitchen in a mess or…." Ranger put his finger on my lips to stop me from babbling and leaned in to give me a sweet, gentle kiss.

Slowly, I got myself ready to go and Ranger drove me to the police station and sat with me while I gave Eddie my statement. Ranger also recounted the last encounter he'd had with Michael. Eddie, Big Dog and Carl were all kind and gentle with me, giving me soft hugs and promises to make sure Michael had a few accidents before he left the station. Eddie also reminded me to call my mother and tell her what had happened before she heard about it from someone else. Shit. My mother. I had completely forgotten that she wanted me to invite Ranger for dinner on Sunday. I decided to wait a day or two and then ask him. After all, if he could tolerate my noise and mess for a few days, he could probably handle my family, too.

We got back to his apartment and Ranger said he was going to work from his home office for a while. I think he didn't want to leave me alone for the day. I took about a 2-hour nap and went to find him when I woke up.

His home office was made of mahogany and black leather. It also smelled like him. It was a beautiful, masculine space and it suited him. I bent down and gave him a kiss and he pulled me into his lap, laying my head against his shoulder. We sat there a few more minutes and I looked up and Ranger and said, "If he's not too busy, I'd really like to see Cal to thank him for yesterday. I don't know what I would've done if he hadn't shown up."

Ranger nodded and said, "He doesn't go on shift until 3:00. I can call him and ask him to come upstairs if you'd like." I nodded and thanked him.

I went into the kitchen and made some coffee, wanting to have something to offer Cal when he came. Ranger came out and said, "There's a problem with one of my accounts. I've got to check on it, but if you need anything, call my cell. If you'd like to go anywhere, just stop by the control room and pick up Lester."

I nodded and he gave me a kiss on the forehead. When he opened the door, Cal was standing there about to knock. Ranger nodded at him and looked back at me, clapping Cal on the back as he left.

I walked over to Cal and looked up at him. On impulse, I put my arms around his waist and hugged him, burying my head in his chest. Cal stiffened, but after a moment, put his arms around me. Suddenly, I felt very emotional and looked up at Cal with tears in my eyes and said "Thank you."

Cal looked surprised and hugged me to him a little tighter. After a moment, I released him and said, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to get all wimpy on you." Cal gave me a half-hearted smile and said, "Stephanie, you don't have to thank me or apologize. I just did what anyone would have done."

I shook my head and said, "No, you're wrong and I see evidence of that fact everyday. People don't always help others the way they should and I wanted you to know that I'll always be grateful to you."

Cal's face turned pink and I belatedly realized that I was embarrassing him horribly. To save him from my blubbering, I said, "How are you? Any problems after yesterday?"

Cal hesitated and said, "I had a few nightmares. I haven't started my shift yet and I'm nervous about it. All I'll have to do is look at monitors, but still, I haven't done even that in a while."

I nodded and said, "That's normal after this type of situation." I thought for a moment and said, "If you don't mind, I'll call Dr. Michaels and see if I can get your first therapy session moved up to tomorrow."

Cal thought about it and said, "Do you think that will help?"

"It won't help right away, but it'll get you started on your therapy sooner. Plus, you can talk with Dr. Michaels about the incident. You're welcome to talk to me, but since I was the one you helped, I don't know how much you would want to say to me." I added, "Cal, that's perfectly natural. If you ever want my help, I'm here. If you don't want my help, that's completely up to you."

Cal looked unsure and I added, "If you do want to talk to me, it'll stay between us. I would never betray your confidence."

Cal exhaled and said, "I appreciate that. Since I know you already, it's easier to talk to you, but it feels a little weird since you're dating the boss."

I cringed and said, "It feels a little weird to me, too, but just know that whatever we discuss, won't be discussed again as pillow talk with Ranger."

Cal seemed to relax and I offered him a cup of coffee. We sat at the dining room table and talked. He told me about the nightmares, replaying the events of his time in Iraq. He started trembling slightly while talking and I took his hand and coached him through a relaxation technique with deep breathing.

We talked until Cal said his shift was starting. He looked back at me and thanked me and I said, "You don't owe me any thanks, Cal. Just like what you did yesterday, you helped because it was the right thing to do. I do the same thing." I studied him for a moment and added, "Cal, you may not know this now, but you're going to be just fine. It may be hard, but you're a strong and caring man and you're going to get through this just fine." I gave him another brief hug and he smiled down at me before leaving.

A/N: I felt like I had neglected Cal in the past several chapters and wanted to get back to the heart of this story. Michael will return, but not for a few chapters. Those of you who are as vengeful as I am don't worry, he'll get what's coming to him. Thank you for all of the wonderful comments and reviews. If you don't get a personal reply from me, it's because you're PM's are turned off, but please know that I appreciate the time you took to read my story and review.


	16. Chapter 16

Disclaimer: The primary characters in this story belong to Janet Evanovich. I make no money for this work. While I work in healthcare, the names and places detailed in this story are not based on specific persons.

A/N: Thank you all so much for the reviews. I hope you like this update as well. Thanks to FairTaxGirl (who I'll get to meet this week! Yay!) and Margaret Fowler for reviewing this for me.

_Previously:_

We talked until Cal said his shift was starting. He looked back at me and thanked me and I said, "You don't owe me any thanks, Cal. Just like what you did yesterday, you helped because it was the right thing to do. I do the same thing." I studied him for a moment and added, "Cal, you may not know this now, but you're going to be just fine. It may be hard, but you're a strong and caring man and you're going to get through this just fine." I gave him another brief hug and he smiled down at me before leaving.

Control Chapter 16

After talking to Cal, I called Dr. Michaels and managed to get Cal's appointment moved up to early Thursday morning. Dr. Michaels had heard about what happened yesterday and when I told him Cal was the person who rescued me, he was more than willing to come in to work a few hours early to meet with him. I called Cal and told him about the appointment and then tried to lie on the sofa and watch T.V., but I had a hard time figuring out how to find anything on Ranger's high-tech system. I was bored out of my mind. I finally decided that I wanted to run by my apartment to pick up a few things. Ranger had some clothes and make-up for me here, but I wanted to get my laptop and a few more outfits.

I had been lounging in sweats and one of Ranger's t-shirts, so I changed into some jeans and went in search of Lester. I found him in the break room on 5th floor. He gave me what was apparently a trademark cocky grin and we headed to my place.

Lester looked over at me on the drive and said, "Are you okay?" I smiled and said, "You know, for a bunch of badass mercenaries, you're all pretty nice."

Lester grimaced and said, "Just don't let that get out. Our reputation would be ruined."

I laughed and he said, "But really, are you okay?"

I sobered and said, "Yeah, I'll be okay. My head is much better today and the bruises on my arm don't hurt too badly. I guess the best I can say is that it's better than being shot."

Lester was silent for a moment and then blinked and said, "Wait a minute. When were you shot?"

I related the story of the shooting at the shelter and Lester said, "Damn."

"What?" I replied.

He grinned at me and said, "You and Ranger have a lot more in common than I thought." He pulled into my complex, nodding at the guard gate, parked and looked over at me. He grinned and said, "You know, if I'd met you first, you would be dating a good looking man instead of my mutant cousin." I laughed out loud and as I got out of the car, gave him a quick hug. These men were so good for my self-esteem.

We got to my apartment and packed my things quickly. I checked my messages and had a few from Cheryl and other co-workers checking on me and one from my mother. Shit, I hadn't talked to my mother in days. "Stephanie Michelle Plum, where are you and why aren't you answering your phone? I talked to Shirley today and Eddie told her that something had happened to you at work. Call me."

I sighed and asked Lester if he minded running by my parents' house before we went back to the RangeMan building.

Lester replied, "It's fine with me, but can we stop by the bonds office first? I've got some paperwork to drop off." I agreed and we headed to the office. I hadn't talked to Lula since right after my first date with Ranger and she didn't know about everything that had been happening with Michael.

We get to the bonds office and walk in to complete silence. Lula jumps up and runs over to me, asking, "What are you doing with tall, dark and handsome here?" Her eyes run up and down Lester and since he's not one to be outdone, he gives her a once-over right back and then turns to Connie to take care of his business.

Lula leans over to me and whispers, "This one's fine and all, but couldn't you have brought Tank?"

I roll my eyes and start explaining the situation to her. She moves my shirt up and looks at the bruises on my arm. Lula is pissed and grabs her purse and pulls out her gun. She shoves it at me and says "Here. If you see that punk ass again, you pop a cap in his ass." As she shoves the gun at me, it goes off and with a loud bang and leaves a hole in Vinnie's office door. He comes running out with his pants around his ankles.

After a moment of stunned silence, I stare at Vinnie and break out laughing. It was a combination of the shock of the gunshot and the sight of Vinnie wearing boxers with little ducks on them. I laugh until I cry and then realize I'm being pulled up by Lester, who says, "Come on, Beautiful. Let's get out of here."

I was having trouble walking due to my hysterical laughter, so Lester finally just picked me up and put me in the truck. He fastened my seat belt and jogged around to the driver's side, jumped it and took off. As we made it further down the road, he let out a sigh.

"Lester, what's wrong?" I asked.

He cut his eyes to me and said, "My life just flashed before my eyes."

I smiled and said, "Yeah, Lula can make that happen every time."

He grimaced and said, "Not Lula. Ranger. Do you know what Ranger would do to me if I let something happen to you?"

I grimaced back at him and said, "I'm sorry, Lester. I was so lost in laughing at Vinnie's underwear that I didn't think about anything else."

He looked at me and relaxed and said, "It's not your fault. I should've been more aware of my surroundings. You're a dangerous woman to be around, Beautiful."

He graced me with a heart-stopping smile and we drove on to my parents' house. Mom and Grandma were waiting by the front door. Lester wasn't content to wait in the car this time, saying only, "I'm not letting you out of my sight."

Mom and Grandma were busy staring at Lester. Well, Grandma was more leering than staring. Mom focused and me and said "Are you okay?" I nodded and followed them in the house. Dad was there and he came to sit with us at the table as I told them what had happened yesterday at work. They were stunned and I saw my dad's fists tighten when he looked at my arm. My family is not very physically affectionate, but when my mom got up and made me a huge plate of chocolate cake, along with ice cream, fudge sauce and whipped cream, I knew that she was telling me that she loved me and was worried about me. It almost brought tears to my eyes. She also brought Lester a plate. Lester was a good sport and ate everything, obviously not sharing Ranger's love of healthy food. Also, he might have been eating to cover his discomfort at my Grandma's staring. She was sitting next to him and slowly moving her eyes up and down his body. He inched his chair a little closer to mine and I had to stifle a nervous giggle. At least she hadn't gotten handsy yet.

After assuring my family that Ranger and his men were keeping me safe, Lester and I headed back to RangeMan. The one saving grace was that my mother was too worried about the Michael situation to remember she had asked Ranger to dinner this weekend. I'm sure it will return to her in no time, though.

It was nearing 7:00 when Lester and I got off the elevator on the 5th floor.

Ranger was waiting for us in the control room. Cal and Tank were on duty. I made eye contact with Cal and he gave me a nod, letting me know he was doing okay. I looked over at Tank, who was concentrating mightily on the monitors and said, "Tank, are you dating anyone?"

Cal, Lester and Tank all looked at me like I had lost my mind. Ranger knew where this was likely going, so he kept a blank face while his eyes twinkled with amusement.

Tank said, "Um, no, I guess not. Why?"

I sat down next to him and said, "Well, you know Lula at the bonds office?" He nodded and I continued, "She's a good friend of mine and she was telling me how much she would like to go out with you."

Tank's mouth opened and a few squeaks came out, but that was it. Finally, he was able to come out with "Really?"

I replied, "Really. I've got to say though, Lula's not usually very subtle. I didn't think it would be this much of a surprise to you."

Tank shyly said, "I'm not very good with women."

Lester, who appeared to be about to pee on himself from holding in laughter, said, "That's not true Big Man. You're just not good with the talking parts."

I realized belatedly that I had just embarrassed the hell out of Tank. I leaned down and whispered, "I'm sorry, Tank. I shouldn't have asked to speak with you privately. But think about it. If you're interested, just know that Lula is, too. She's a good woman."

Tank gave me a brief smile and nod and Ranger grabbed my hand and we headed up to his apartment. When we reached his apartment, I walked in and saw candles everywhere. There were covered dinner dishes on the table and fresh flowers as the centerpiece.

Ranger was trying a candle lit dinner again since the last one didn't work out so well. I looked over at him and smiled. He said, "The last few days have been pretty rough for you. I thought you might like a quiet dinner to relax you."

I leaned over to him and kissed him gently. "Have I told you how much I appreciate you?" I asked.

Ranger smiled and said, "No need, Babe."

I shook my head and said, "I know I joked with you about this before, but it really is true. For someone who professes to have never had a real relationship, you seem to do everything right."

Ranger gave me a wolf-grin and said, "Everything?"

I blushed a little and laughed. "I don't think you had any doubt about your perfection in that area."

Ranger pulled me in for a kiss and said, "But maybe we need to refresh our memories. After all, memory can be hazy after a concussion."

I was more than ready to let him refresh my memory. This man could beat a concussion any day of the week. He eased off of the kiss and said, "Are you sure you feel up to this?"

I rolled my eyes and said, "Please, I had worse concussions than this as a kid. I'm pretty resilient." He looked a little confused and I said, "I went through a brief phase of jumping off the roof, trying to fly."

It was the first time I had seen Ranger laugh out loud and he was even more beautiful for it. He threw his head back and laughed until his eyes were wet.

He quieted and leaned down for another kiss and his phone went off. He gave me an apologetic look and answered the phone. He glanced over at me and said, "We'll be right down."

He clicked his phone shut and said, "Cal's having some trouble."

A/N: Thank you all for the wonderful reviews. I can't believe that something I wrote has gotten this wonderful response. Y'all are definitely good for my soul! I've been having a bit of writer's block with this story, thus the week between updates. I'll be out of town at a conference for most of this week and will use the time sitting in worthless meetings to write! Thanks to you all for sticking with me and I hope to be back again soon with more focus!


	17. Chapter 17

Disclaimer: The primary characters in this story belong to Janet Evanovich. I make no money for this work. While I work in health care, the names and places detailed in this story are not based on specific persons or events.

A/N: Special thanks to FairTaxGirl (a.k.a Linda) and Margaret Fowler for reviewing this for me. Linda, it was awesome to meet you this week!

_Previously:_

_Ranger clicked his phone shut, looked at me and said, "Cal's having some trouble."_

Control Chapter 17

Ranger's POV:

After Tank called, Stephanie and I raced downstairs. When we got to the control room, Tank and Hal were standing there waiting for us. Hal looked a little worse for wear.

"Report," I barked.

Tank replied, "Cal and I were watching the monitors. He was on the phone following up on an alarm when Hal came in. Cal was just finishing his call and didn't notice Hal entering the room. Hal went over and clapped Cal on the shoulders and yelled that it was good to see him. Cal just reacted. He grabbed Hal and threw him against the wall. He let him go immediately once he realized there wasn't a threat, but then he looked around and took off." Tank turned towards the monitors and said, "He's in the gun range."

Steph and I stepped closer and looked at the monitor. We watched Cal walk into the gun range and sit down on a bench, putting his head in his hands.

Stephanie said, "Ranger, I'm going to check on him. Where's the gun range?"

I looked over at her and said, "I'll go with you. There's fire power in there and he may decide to pick up a gun and start target shooting." She agreed.

I turned to Tank and said, "Get on the intercom and tell him we're coming in. I'd rather not have a gun in my face tonight." It went without saying that I wanted Stephanie to be safe.

I led Steph downstairs to the range. Outside the door, I called Tank and he reported that Cal was still sitting and appeared to be unarmed. I went in first with Stephanie following close behind me. I walked in with my hands held in front of me. Cal didn't lift his head. Stephanie came around me and I had to resist the urge to grab her and yank her back behind me.

She approached Cal slowly and sat down on the bench about a foot away from him. Neither of them spoke. After a few moments, Stephanie looked up at me and gave me a nod to leave them alone. I was hesitant to leave her alone with Cal and had to remind myself that this was her area of expertise, not mine. I tried to show her my concern and she gave me a small smile that was clearly meant to convey that she wasn't in any danger.

I stepped out of the door and Tank was there. He said, "Go ahead and watch them on the monitors. I'll stand guard here." He had read my mind. I needed to be able to see what was going on to know she was safe, but I couldn't do that and be within reaching distance if something happened. I thanked Tank and headed up to the control room.

Hal was alone in the control room and one look at his face told me that he felt horrible about what had happened. He and Cal were good friends and I was sure that Hal had genuinely missed him. When the other men heard about this, they may be afraid to approach Cal and that was something that I desperately wanted to avoid. It would make his recovery that much more difficult, not to mention what it would do to the morale of the team.

I sat down to face the monitors and saw Stephanie and Cal still sitting without speaking. I zoomed the camera and as I watched, I noticed the steady, rhythmic movement of their chests and realized that they were breathing deeply together. In through the nose and out through the mouth, over and over again. They still hadn't spoken.

This went on for over 10 minutes. Finally, I saw Stephanie slide a little closer to Cal and place her hand on his. It was a simple gesture, but I could see the set of his shoulders relax. I could see them talking and since Cal looked calm I didn't turn up the volume. He should be able to talk about his problems without the whole building listening in. After a few moments of conversation, they both stood and Stephanie gave Cal a hug. He looked a little worse for wear, but he didn't look enraged or anxious, just tired.

I watched Stephanie walk out of the range. Cal remained behind, but pulled out his phone. On the monitors, I could see Tank answer his phone and then head upstairs, riding the elevator with Steph. They both stepped into the control room a moment later. Tank reported that Cal had called requesting to leave his shift early. That was a given, but I was encouraged by the fact that he was thinking clearly enough to follow protocol.

I looked at Hal and Tank and said, "No one else knows what happened here tonight. Keep it that way. Erase the tape from the gun range, too." Tank gave a brief nod and Hal merely said, "Yes, sir."

I took Stephanie's hand and we took the elevator back up to 7. We walked through to the living room and I pulled her to me and kissed her below the ear, saying, "Babe, you're amazing."

She stepped back and looked up at me with a confused expression. "What do you mean?" she asked.

I explained, "With Cal. You were amazing."

She smiled and said, "Ranger, there was nothing amazing about it. He feels comfortable with me and I wanted to help."

I said, "This incident could have gone a lot differently if you hadn't been here." I stepped closer to her and ran my hand up to the back of her neck as I pulled her in for a kiss. I had wanted her before the interruption, but it was nothing compared to the need I felt now.

Stephanie's POV:

Ranger kissed me slowly, snaking his tongue into my mouth. I wrapped my arms around him, pulling him closer to me and feeling his hard body against me. The kiss deepened and took on a new urgency. I pulled his shirt loose and started working on his belt. Ranger broke the kiss and pulled my shirt and bra over my head in one movement. I toed out of my shoes as he got his boots off.

I shimmied out of my jeans and panties and watched as Ranger unbuttoned his cargo pants and eased down his zipper. He was commando, so it gave me a great view of his enormous erection. I went to my knees in front of him and slowly swirled my tongue around his head while my hands ran up and down his legs.

While I sucked him into my mouth, I marveled at the way he made me feel. I had always enjoyed sex, but I had never felt the urgency for someone that I felt for him. Even now, when I had him in my mouth, I couldn't wait for him to be inside me.

I ran my hands along the inside of his thighs and used one to grasp his cock at the base and the other to gently massage his balls. With a groan, he yanked me up by my arms and pushed me against the wall. I wrapped one leg around him and ground myself into him, causing both of us to moan. Ranger wrapped my other leg around him and lifted my arms above my head, holding them in place. He dipped his head and took one nipple into his mouth as he entered me in one smooth stroke.

He brought his mouth back to mine as he pounded into me relentlessly. He was rubbing against my clit with every thrust and soon I came, screaming. Ranger released my hands, grabbed my hips and thrust into me harder, following me over the edge. We stayed against the wall for a moment, him still buried inside me. I put my head on his shoulder and as his breathing slowed, he placed soft kisses along my neck, onto my face, eventually meeting my lips for a slow, sweet kiss. He rested his forehead against mine and then carried us into his bedroom, where we made love slowly, the initial urgency and fervor met, allowing us to take our time and savor each other.

Later that night, we sat on the sofa, eating snacks and watching a baseball game. I looked over at him and said, "Ranger, I'm going back to work tomorrow."

He looked over at me and said, "Are you sure you're up for that this soon?" I could see the concern around his eyes and it made me love him even more. Oh, shit. I'm in love with him. I'm in love with the hottest, sexiest man I've ever met. He's also treated me more gently than any man I've ever met. While I was okay with being in love with him privately, I was nowhere near ready to share this information with him.

I concentrated on him again and said, "Yeah, I feel okay. I've just a mild headache. Unfortunately, I've had much worse. Cal has an early morning appointment and I want to be there to see him afterwards. Plus, the longer I stay away, the more work there will be for me when I get back."

Ranger nodded his understanding and said, "You're still okay with Lester going with you?"

I said, "Yes, I'm okay with it. I bet he'll enjoy all the cute nurses."

Ranger smiled and said, "My cousin is nothing if not thorough. He'll have a number from every attractive female you two encounter."

I laughed. Lester would definitely attract attention from my female co-workers. I had no doubt that he would enjoy every minute of it.

Ranger's phone rang and he went into the other room to take the call. He came back out a few minutes later, looking grim. "Babe, Michael is out of jail. The cops had to charge him eventually and he made bail immediately after that. He's got a court date in two weeks."

I nodded and said, "Well, we knew he couldn't stay in jail forever. I've got to find out if he'll be at work tomorrow."

Ranger said, "Wouldn't he face repercussions at work for attacking you?"

I shrugged and said, "Maybe, maybe not. I don't know his supervisor, but usually it's all in who you know. Either way, it wouldn't happen right away. He would have a right to a hearing to dispute any decision his supervisor may have made."

Ranger shook his head and said, "I don't like this. He could be waiting for you anywhere." He looked over at me and said, "I've got a tracker on his car, but I'd like to put a man on him. Since we're a private company, I'll never get permission from the VA police to follow him inside the building."

"Ranger, put a man on him if you must, but Lester will be with me at work. I'll be fine. I also promise I'll be more aware of my surroundings. I don't ever want something like that to happen to me again." I shuddered and Ranger pulled me close to him. "You know, I've been knocked around a little by really sick patients before, but it's amazing how much more terrifying it is when you know the person is really trying to hurt you."

Ranger tightened his hold on me and said, "Babe, I meant what I said. He'll never hurt you again." He kissed me on the head. We talked a little more and then went to bed.

In the morning, I was up and ready early so that Lester and I could follow Cal. I made him promise to come to my office and let me know how the session had gone. He had followed my advice and taken an Ativan last night, so he had at least slept well and looked more settled today.

Lester accompanied me up to the unit, but due to patient confidentiality, had to remain outside the first set of double doors. He would accompany me anywhere else I had to go on campus. Lester was a good-looking man, but right now he was taking his job very seriously and the look and vibe he was giving off clearly said, "Don't fuck with me." I seriously doubted anyone would bother me with him around.

I worked for a while, catching up on my voice mails and email messages. It was amazing how being out of work for just a day and a half would take me a week to catch up. After about an hour, the doorbell rang for the entrance doors and I went out to see Cal waiting for me. Lester was still standing guard ever vigilantly.

I led Cal into my office and he took a seat while I got him a cup of coffee. When I got back, I said, "Well, how did it go?"

Cal said, "I like Dr. Matthews. He's cool and he seems to really get what I'm going through."

I smiled and said, "I'm glad. I thought you two would be a good match."

Cal nodded and said, "He basically just told me a lot about Prolonged Exposure Therapy and gave me some homework. I have to read several articles about PTSD and make notes on what confuses me or what I'd like to discuss further. He also told me that at our next session, we would start the "imaginal exposure." He said that could be very stressful, but it would help us move forward."

I said, "He's right on both counts. That's what PE is about. It is very stressful, but it ultimately helps you understand your reactions and change the way you think about stressful events and reminders. He'll teach you to change your reactions, too."

Cal gave me a brief smile and said, "I know and I can see where this kind of therapy will help me more long-term, especially with my job. Thank you for suggesting it."

I smiled and said, "No problem. Just let me know if there's anything I can do."

Cal left and the rest of the day passed without incident, unless you can count three female employees tripping over their feet at the site of Lester standing guard.

At 4:00, I walked off the unit and Lester and I made our way downstairs. I was happy to be leaving at a decent hour and was looking forward to seeing Ranger soon.

As Lester and I exited the building, I saw Derek waiting for me under the awning. I had really hoped to avoid a meeting with Mighty Mouse so soon…

A/N: For the sake of fiction and time, I'm taking a bit of artistic license with Cal's therapy. It would normally work a little slower, but I felt that would make the story drag too much. Also, I realize that Stephanie shouldn't have gone back to work so soon after her injury, but she needed to return to work to advance the story a little more. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Please read and review!


	18. Chapter 18

Disclaimer: The primary characters in this story belong to Janet Evanovich. I make no money for this work. While I work in health care, the names and places detailed in this story are not based on specific persons or events.

A/N: I'm so sorry this update took so long to get out. Real life has been an extreme pain this week. Special thanks to FairTaxGirl and Margaret Fowler for reviewing this for me. I don't know what I would do without you two.

_Previously:_

_At 4:00, I walked off the unit and Lester and I made our way downstairs. I was happy to be leaving at a decent hour and was looking forward to seeing Ranger soon. _

_As Lester and I exited the building, I saw Derek waiting for me under the awning. I had really hoped to avoid a meeting with Mighty Mouse so soon…_

Control Chapter 18

Derek was standing under the awning, obviously hoping to catch me by surprise. I tried to be smooth and act like I hadn't seen him, but of course, nothing that simple would ever work. He just had to fuck with me.

As I turned with Lester toward the parking lot, Derek called my name and stalked over to us. Lester was by my side and looked down at me. He didn't know who Derek was. I whispered, "My asshole boss" and he nodded, but didn't step away from me.

Derek approached and said, "I'm sure you'll be happy to know that you've been cleared of any wrong doing in Mr. Hamilton's death." I let out a breath and said, "Thanks for letting me know."

Derek narrowed his eyes at me and said, "You should know that I disagreed with the RCA committee on this. I still feel that you deserve at least a notice in your personnel folder about this. If you'd done your job, a man would be alive."

I sucked in a breath and tried to plant my feet so that I wouldn't launch myself at him. That was such a horrible thing to say that I knew I would never get it out of my head. Even though I knew it was bullshit, it still hurt. It hurt and made me angry as hell. I could feel my eyes start to well up with angry tears and my body start to shake.

Lester must have felt it too, because he moved to stand in front of me and said, "You need to move along now" to Derek.

Derek tried to sneer at the giant looking down at him and said, "I don't know who you think you are, but Stephanie is my employee and it has come to my attention that she may be engaged in other unethical behavior."

That got my attention. I tried to step around Lester, but he put his arm out to stop me so that I remained by his side. I looked at Derek and said, "What the hell are you talking about?"

I could tell Mighty Mouse was pleased that he had unnerved me. "It has come to my attention that you may be have an inappropriate relationship with a patient. This, of course, will need to be investigated."

My mouth was hanging open as I said, "What patient? What are you talking about? I haven't done anything inappropriate."

Derek, in a major show of courage, tried to step closer to me. Lester moved to stand in front of me again and I could hear the anger in his voice as he said, "Back the fuck off you little hobbit." Looking under Lester's arm, I could see Derek turn a brilliant shade of red before he turned around and walked back into the building.

Lester grabbed my hand and half-walked, half-jogged me to the SUV in the parking lot. My head was starting to pound. Once we were both inside and driving off the VA campus, he looked over at me and said, "I'm sorry, Beautiful. I was trying to be civil since you said that he's your boss, but he was a dick. I couldn't help myself."

I gave a sad smile and said, "Don't worry, I completely understand. He was being an asshole because he wanted me to lose my temper so that he would have a real reason to write me up. He's Michael's best friend. Derek's been giving me shit since I broke up with Michael. Before that, we never had any problems." I tried to hide the fact that tears of anger and frustration were starting to leak out. I was tired of this shit and I didn't deserve it.

Lester, who for all his goofball ways, was proving to be a very caring and observant person said, "You've had a tough day. Why don't we call Ranger and ask him to stop and meet us for pizza and beer?"

Lester's suggestion was just what I needed. I wiped my eyes, smiled and said, "Sounds good to me."

Lester called Ranger and then drove us to a little hole in the wall place called 'Shorty's.' Ranger arrived about five minutes after we did and gave me a quick hug as he settled in beside me. We ordered pizza and I switched to coke after the first beer, not wanting to make my headache any worse.

For two hours, we sat there laughing and talking. Lester and I teased each other and Lester told wild stories about the adventures he and Ranger had when they were younger. After Lester told a particularly raunchy story involving himself and two co-eds from Rutgers, I laughed so hard I thought I might have peed. I excused myself to go to the restroom and found myself smiling the whole way.

Ranger's POV:

I watched Stephanie walk away and was struck with the thought that I wanted many more nights like this. Nights with her and I out with friends and family and nights of she and I alone. I could easily envision us laughing together, eating together and getting older together. What I couldn't envision was her not being in my life. Dios, when did that happen? I had fallen in love with this woman practically overnight.

I looked up to see my cousin staring at me intently. He took a swig from his beer and said seriously, "I'm telling you right now that if you throw this one back, I'm jumping in after her."

I felt my face harden and I said, "And I'm telling you right now that you can get that thought out of your fucking head before I beat it out."

Characteristic of Lester, he laughed and said, "I kind of thought that. She's great and she won't take any of your shit. She's also got her own life, her own friends and her own money. She doesn't need any of that from you." His face softened and he continued, "You two are good together. I'm happy for you, cousin. Just remember, I wasn't kidding about what I said. If you fuck up, I'll do my best to pick up the pieces." He gave me a trademark Lester smirk and all I could say was "Fuck you." He laughed and we both looked up to watch Steph return to the table.

I stood up to let Steph slide into the inside of the booth and sat back down beside her. She laid her head on my shoulder and I could feel her yawn. I looked up at Lester and we said our goodbyes. Lester took the SUV and I tucked Steph into my truck. She was asleep before we made it back to Haywood. I helped her upstairs and got her into bed before she was fully awake. Concussions always require more sleep and I knew she had probably gone back to work too soon. I got a text from Lester telling me to ask Steph about what happened with Derek this afternoon. I called Ella and asked her to bring an early breakfast in the morning so that Steph and I would have time to talk before work.

Stephanie's POV:

I woke up nestled against Ranger. It felt wonderful to feel both his warm body and his soft, cool sheets against me. For a moment I couldn't remember getting into bed last night and then I realized I must have fallen asleep in Ranger's truck. I groaned and felt Ranger stir beside me. I knew he was awake and said, "Sorry about falling asleep on you again."

I felt his chest move in a silent laugh and he said, "You know, you could give a lesser man a complex." I laughed out loud and said, "I promise you the company was stimulating, I was just exhausted." He tightened his hold on me and pulled me closer, resting his head in the crook of my neck. He replied, "I know, Babe. You're probably doing too much after your injuries. You can have the shower first. Ella's bringing breakfast early this morning."

I smiled, hoping for shower sex, but before I could say anything, he said, "As much as I love what you're thinking, Ella will be up with breakfast in a little while. She's dying to meet you."

Oh, well. No shower sex. "Okay, but I want a rain check."

He smiled and said, "You can collect whenever and wherever the mood hits you."

I grinned and took off for the bathroom, wanting to look presentable for the woman who takes care of Ranger.

I came out about 30 minutes later to find Ranger chatting with a petite Hispanic woman with a kind face. They both turned when I entered the room and Ranger said, "Ella, this is Stephanie Plum, Stephanie, this is Ella Guzman."

Ella approached me with a smile and gave me a quick, tight hug. She smiled up at me and said "I've heard so much about you from the boys. I'm so happy to finally meet you." I immediately liked her and said, "I've heard a lot about you, too. I also have to tell you that you are the best cook I've ever met in my life. Thank you for the picnic and for sending us all this wonderful food all the time."

She waved her hand at me and said, "That's my job and I enjoy doing it. I must say, thought, that Ranger's dinner requests have gotten a lot more interesting lately."

I laughed and we chatted for a few more minutes before she went on her way. She had made me fresh pancakes with strawberry syrup and whipped cream on top and sausage and scrambled eggs on the side. Ranger had something brown in a bowl and some whole-wheat toast. Looking at his breakfast, I had to stifle an inborn need to say "Eww, gross."

He raised an eyebrow at me and I just shook my head.

We ate in silence for a while and finally he said, "Lester told me I should ask you about what happened with Derek yesterday."

I rolled my eyes and said, "I think he was just trying to get a rise out of me. He knows I've got a temper and he thinks if he pushes me enough I'll try to run him over or something. He did make some pretty ridiculous, but serious statements though."

Again, the raised eyebrow. I really didn't want to start my day talking about Derek. It was bad enough that I had to work for the asshole. Ranger was sitting there staring at me, so I explained, "He said I was suspected of

'Having an inappropriate relationship with a patient.' He says there will be an investigation." I swallowed hard and looked up at Ranger.

Ranger sat for a moment and said "Do you have any idea what he's talking about?"

I sighed and said "The only thing I can think of is Cal. Several employees and obviously Michael know you and I are dating and that a former patient works for you. But that in itself doesn't indicate any wrongdoing. You're not a patient and my relationship with Cal has been professional. I do see Cal outside of work now, but there isn't anything inappropriate or unethical going on. Not that any of that matters, Derek is obviously trying to make it a problem."

I sat there for a moment wondering how my love life could become so wonderful at the same time my work life was going to crap. I was trying my best to not worry about the Derek problem, but I had a feeling it was only going to get worse. Since he's my boss, my job could be on the line. I love my job.

I was lost in my thoughts when Ranger laid a hand on mine. I looked up at him and he said, "Babe, is there anything I can do to help?"

I gave what was probably a sad smile and said, "Thanks, Ranger, but this is one I've got to figure out on my own. I'm going to talk to the union today and see if that gets me anywhere."

"Good. I would imagine the staff on your unit would corroborate your side of the story."

I nodded and said, "Yes, they would, if they're ever asked, which probably won't happen. The really bad thing is that I've seen so many staff members end up having relationships with patients and I've never seen one of them investigated. I've even known of a nurse who bought pills from one of her patients. It was documented and everything, but nothing ever happened. It was all swept under the rug." I paused for a moment and said, "I'm damn good at my job. I don't sleep with patients or sell or buy pills from them. I don't borrow money from patients or bring them to my home to do manual labor. I'm sick of this shit."

Ranger smiled and said, "There you go Babe, go kick his ass."

I smiled and said, "I think I will." I rose and moved to his side of the table. He caught me by my hips and dragged me down into his lap, giving me a mind blowing kiss. I could feel him hardening beneath me and moaned, involuntarily feeling my body melt into him.

I pulled my lips from his and started kissing my way down his neck. He has a muscular neck, big, but not bulging like a linebackers. I worked my way around to his Adam's apple, finding this small part of him sexier than belief. I gave it a little lick and he groaned, saying "Babe, unless we're calling in sick, I need to stop before I explode."

I gave him what I hoped was a sexy smile and said, "Something else for the rain check list."

Holding hands, we walked downstairs together. After a quick goodbye, he went to his office and I met Lester.

Lester again drove me to work in his monster black SUV. I felt like a visiting foreign dignitary. As we were walking into the VA, I saw Isaac. I hadn't seen him since he had tried to help me during Michael's attack. I walked over to him, bent down and gently put my arms around him, whispering my thanks in his ear. When I straightened up, he took my hand and quietly asked me if I was okay. I nodded and said, "I'll be fine." I paused for a moment and then said, "Isaac, just knowing you were there and going for help got me through it. I can't ever thank you enough."

Isaac, uncomfortable with my praise, returned to his regular flirtatious manner and said, "Well, I'm sure I can think of a few ways for you to thank me." Lester laughed, appreciating Isaac, and gave him a fist bump. I laughed and said, "How about I bring you a few packs of Marlboro's and some magazines instead?" He laughed and said, "You got a deal, girlie." He then turned serious and said, "We're all keeping an eye out for that guy. We've got your back."

His words and the sentiment behind them made my eyes water, so I gave him another quick hug and hurried into the building.

Cal was waiting for us outside the unit. He and Lester nodded at each other and Lester took up his post outside the unit. The ease with which he could go from a regular goofball to a serious badass never ceased to amaze me.

Cal followed me to my office and said quietly, "Is it okay for me to talk to you here? I feel kind of awkward talking about this stuff at RangeMan." I assured him that it was fine. Whether Derek had a problem with it or not, there was nothing I was doing with Cal that I didn't do with any other patient. Patients frequently came back to the unit after discharge to talk with me or Cheryl and we owed it to them to give them our time and whatever help they might need. Most of the time they just wanted to talk and I had a feeling that was all Cal wanted, too.

Cal had just finished with another early morning session with Dr. Matthews. He said that it had gone well and the educational component of the therapy had helped him gain a greater understanding of PTSD. Dr. Matthews had given Cal several case studies to go over and it had helped Cal see that he wasn't the only person in this position and that others had successfully completed treatment and gone on to return to their normal lives.

Cal, however, was more nervous about the next phase of treatment. Today they had started the "imaginal exposure," where they practiced appropriate responses to stressful situations. This could be difficult in the beginning, but it was ultimately less traumatic than the next phase, "in-vivo exposure," which would begin next week. In this phase of the treatment, Cal would gradually increase his exposure to stressful situations and reminders of his initial trauma. This would be more problematic for Cal than the average person because his job actually does carry a strong element of danger.

Cal explained, "I talked with Dr. Matthews about my job. I'm worried that if the therapy doesn't work I'll have to quit RangeMan. I love my job and even as antsy as I've been lately, I can't imagine doing anything else. Plus, I don't think I'm even qualified to do anything else."

I nodded and said, "I know you're worried about those things, but you have to remember to slow down. Nobody expects this to work overnight. Dr. Matthews is good and he understands what you're going through better than anyone else I know. He's also very creative and will work with you on safe situations to test your responses." I thought for a moment and added, "You also have a building full of men who have a similar background and from what I've seen of them, they would all be more than willing to help, too. You don't have to do this all alone. We're all here for you."

Call said softly, "Thank you, Stephanie. You've been a great help. I better let you get to work."

I walked him off the unit and left him and Lester talking.

I walked back to my office, made my list of things to do for the day and called the union rep. I'd be damned if Mighty Mouse was going to make every minute of my work day miserable.

My day went as normal. I did spend about an hour writing down every encounter with Derek that I could recall. I knew that would help my case with the union. At 2:00, Connie, the union rep, came to talk to me. I was glad that it was Connie because I knew she was fair and could be a bulldog when it came to fighting for union members. I told her about every harassing encounter and gave as much detail as I could remember. She took notes and asked follow-up questions diligently. When we finished, I realized the interview had taken over two hours. Connie was packing up to leave when she turned to me and said, "Stephanie, I want you to know that I think you've got a good case. Also, off-the-record, you're not the only one who has complained. I think with that and statements from witnesses we can help you."

I felt my shoulders sag in relief. "Thanks, Connie." She left and I finished a few things and then walked out to meet Lester, looking forward to my rain check with Ranger tonight.

A/N: I know I mentioned this in the last chapter, but please remember that for fictions' sake, I've sped up the process of Prolonged Exposure Therapy. Also, as a side note, the things I said about staff members dating patients, buying pills, etc. are absolutely true. The VA is the only place I've ever heard of where a professional can have a relationship out in the open with a patient. I've never seen anything like it before and it makes me angry beyond belief when I see it happen at the VA. It is also a nationwide problem that I've heard discussed in detail at conferences.


	19. Chapter 19

Disclaimer: The primary characters in this story belong to Janet Evanovich. I make no money for this work. While I work in health care, the names and places detailed in this story are not based on specific persons or events.

A/N: Special thanks to FairTaxGirl and Margaret Fowler for reviewing this for me. I don't know what I would do without you two!

_Previously:_

_Connie was packing up to leave when she turned to me and said, "Stephanie, I want you to know that I think you've got a good case. Also, off-the-record, you're not the only one who has complained. I think with that and statements from witnesses we can help you." _

_I felt my shoulders sag in relief. "Thanks, Connie." She left and I finished a few things and then walked out to meet Lester, looking forward to my rain check with Ranger tonight. _

Control Chapter 19

Lester and I managed to get out of the building and into the SUV without any problems, which seemed like a miracle these days. While Lester drove, I thought about Derek and what I could do to deal with this situation. I was sick and tired of having my work and personal life under a microscope. I wasn't doing anything wrong. All I wanted was to be able to do my job and go home after the day was over without having to worry about my boss making ridiculous accusations and making my life miserable.

I sat in the SUV trying to form a plan. The first thing I needed to do was find out who else had complained about Derek. If we joined together we would have a stronger case. I was also curious about what else Derek was into. I had been convinced he was harassing me because of Michael, but apparently there was more going on.

I pulled out my cell phone and called Connie, hoping to catch her before she left for the day. Thankfully, she answered and I said, "Connie, I know you can't give me any information about who else has complained about Derek, but could you ask them if they'd be willing to talk to me? You can give them my phone number." I sighed and said, "Connie, I need this to be over. I can't live like this."

Connie sighed and said, "I know, Steph. I'll call the others, but I don't know if they'll be willing to talk to you or not. Even though they're also filing complaints, everyone worries about stepping over the line and losing their job for it."

I nodded to myself and said, "I understand. Thanks for trying." We hung up with promises to talk again tomorrow.

I looked over at Lester and saw that he was watching me out of the corner of his eye. He waited a moment and said, "You know, Beautiful, we would be happy to pick up Derek and give him a good scare. I didn't appreciate his attitude and none of us like what he's trying to do to you."

I said, "Who's us?"

Lester said, "RangeMan. All of us. I know you've only really spent time with me, Cal and of course, Ranger, but when you become involved with any of us, you become one of us. We're a family and we take care of our own."

Lester's little speech left me misty eyed. This was why Cal was so worried about leaving RangeMan. It wasn't just a job, it was a family. He needn't have worried. They couldn't let him go any more than he could let them go. I put my hand on Lester's arm and said, "Thank you, Lester. That means a lot to me."

He gave me a wink and his phone rang. I watched Lester's forehead crinkle up and then his jaw tighten. He looked in the rear view mirror and said, "Affirmative, he's in sight."

Lester hung up the phone and said, "Beautiful, I'm afraid we've got company." My stomach knotted as I turned around and saw Michael's car a short block behind us. Lester spoke up again and said, "Don't worry about a thing. We've been expecting something like this and we're always prepared." As I watched, I saw a black SUV come in close behind Michael and another SUV from a side street moved in beside Lester and I.

"What are we going to do?" I asked Lester.

He replied, "We're going to RangeMan, just as we were before we saw him. Ranger's waiting for us in the garage. I don't think Michael's stupid enough to follow us in there, but it would make things so much easier if he did."

"What do you mean?"

Lester said, "Well, obviously he isn't going to just let this obsession with you go. We'd like to end it now rather than later. He's violating the restraining order by following you. It's hard to prove that, though, especially since you're not in your own vehicle."

I nodded and said, "I need to call Eddie and report this."

Lester shook his head and said, "Already taken care of. " Within a few minutes, we were pulling into the RangeMan garage. I could see Ranger standing ready with a gun hanging at his side. Lester's phone vibrated again and he answered it, repeating to me that Michael had turned off a block back, but Ram and Zero were still following him and would report on his activities.

Ranger stepped up to my side of the vehicle and helped me out, putting his arms around me. "Are you okay, Babe?" he asked. I nodded and he led the way to the elevator, saying "I've spoken to Eddie and he's trying to get a warrant for Michael's arrest for violating the restraining order. Since it's late in the day, he doesn't think he'll be able to do anything about it until tomorrow. Unfortunately, restraining order violations are not very high on judge's priority lists."

I nodded, knowing this all too well from my previous work with domestic violence victims.

Lester rode the elevator with us and got off on the 4th floor, assuring me he would see me in the morning. Ranger and I proceeded to the 5th floor, where he led me into the control room. Ranger raised an eyebrow and Cal, who was on monitor duty, reported that Michael had driven to a local bar and was currently getting wasted alone. While standing there, Ram called in to report that Michael had been joined by a man that was about 5'2 and in a business suit. It could only be Derek. Hobbits aren't that common.

Ranger and I went to his office and shut the door, where I assumed we would talk about the Michael problem. He pulled me into his arms for a tight hug and I wrapped my arms around his strong body and inhaled his delicious Ranger scent. I could be in a foreign country, away from everything I knew and recognize his scent.

I moved my head to press my lips to his neck and inhale his scent further. When my lips touched his neck, he shifted and pulled me closer, enveloping me fully against his hard body. He wrapped a hand in my hair and used it to pull me back for a kiss. The moment his lips touched mine, I moaned and he slipped his tongue into my mouth, stroking me. I slid a hand under his shirt to run my fingers over his back. He was warm and I could feel the muscles in his back pulled taut against my hand.

His mouth moved from my lips to my neck, quickly taking the soft part of my ear in and sucking gently. I heard his husky voice say, "I missed you today, Babe. I want my rain check now."

With what he was doing with his mouth, it took me a few tries to get words to come out, but I said, "In your office?"

"Hmmm," he said. "I was working in here this morning and couldn't get the thought of you bent over my desk out of my mind. I had to leave the office and work the streets for a while." While talking, he was slowly but surely removing my shirt and bra and backing me into the desk. Ranger knelt in front of me and traced his hands up my legs, under my skirt, hooking his thumbs in my panties and slowly removing them, leaving me clad only in my skirt and heels.

He raised my skirt, looked at me and said, "You have to be very quiet" and then his mouth was on me, licking and sucking at my clit while two fingers found their way to my core and began pumping in and out in a slow, steady pace. I bit my cheeks to keep from crying out when my orgasm hit me. My knees gave out and Ranger quickly rose and steadied me, giving me another mind-blowing kiss. I could taste myself on him and moved my hand down to stroke his cock, wanting him inside me. Ranger turned me around, pulling my back flush against his chest. His mouth worked on my neck while his hands cupped my breasts and his fingers pinched and pulled my nipples. I found that having to keep quiet only turned me on more.

Ranger gently pushed my front down on the desk and slowly entered me from behind. We both let out low groans and I put my wrist in my mouth to keep from crying out. Ranger's hands caressed my hips, my back and my hair as he set up a steady rhythm. In this position, he filled me deeper than ever before and I had to bite down on my wrist to keep from screaming out when he moved his hand around to flick at my clit. I came violently with Ranger falling over the edge right behind me, his hands pulling my hips up into him as he came.

He eased himself out of me and trailed kisses along my back before helping me up. He sat me on the edge of the desk and pulled me into his arms. I was still trying to catch my breath when he said, "I don't think I've ever cum so hard in my life."

I grinned and said, "The next rain check is mine." He laughed out loud and said, "Anytime, Babe, anytime." He gathered my clothes for me and I went into his connecting bathroom to clean myself up a little, not wanting walk back down the hall smelling like sex.

When I was finished, Ranger was waiting for me and took my hand, saying, "Would you like to go out to dinner tonight?"

I nodded, "I'd like that."

"I need a quick shower and I'll be ready to go." He said. I smiled and said, "You're not the only one who needs a shower." Ranger pretended to consider the options and said, "Okay, you can shower with me, but you have to promise me you will control yourself. I just don't know if I can handle being mauled by you again."

I rolled my eyes and said, "Come on and we'll see who mauls who." Two hours later, after much mutual mauling, we called it even and got dressed for dinner. We went to a quiet steak place, where I had a ribeye and baked potato and Ranger had salmon and wild rice. God knows the man is perfect in just about every way, but why does he have to be such a freak about food? He saw me roll my eyes at his plate and said, "Babe, red meat will kill you." I gave a very unladylike snort and said, "Well, between red meat, chocolate and pasta, I'll die a happy woman. Besides, I need my energy with you." He just gave me a wolf-grin and continued eating.

During dinner I told him about meeting with the union and my hope that several of us could work together in a complaint against Derek. We talked about Michael briefly. There really wasn't much to say other than we both hoped Eddie would be able to arrest him tomorrow. His court date for the assault charge was next week, too. Ranger was concerned that Michael may try to run and was keeping a closer eye on him because of it. After we finished eating, Ranger said, "I haven't mentioned this to you before, but I wanted you to know that I spoke with my attorney about trying to get Michael's previous harassment incidents included in the court record. He was never formally charged, so his criminal record is clean, but if we get the right judge, he might pay attention to the previous claims even if they were never proven. That could get Michael a tougher sentence. The last thing we want is for him to get a slap on the wrist and be right back on the street after court and unfortunately, that's a very real possibility."

I swallowed and said, "Even with the restraining order violations and the assault?"

Ranger nodded and said, "Yes, he's still a first time offender and given the fact that his family has money and he has stable employment, it doesn't look good for us."

I felt a headache coming on. I couldn't imagine going to work every day and having to worry about running into Michael. I'd had my share of trouble in my life, but there was no way I could be on the same campus with him day in and day out, worried about him cornering me or worse.

Ranger slid closer to me and said, "Babe, even if this doesn't go our way in court, we'll take care of it. You will not have to worry about this for the rest of your life."

I shook my head and said, "Ranger, I hope you know how much I appreciate everything you're doing for me, but I don't know what else you can possibly do if Michael isn't convicted."

Ranger raised an eyebrow at me and gave me a sardonic smile. "Stephanie, sometimes you just have to apply the right pressure."

A/N: Thanks again to everyone for reading and reviewing. Your comments truly make my day. I'm hoping to get another chapter out Monday or Tuesday because this will be a very busy week for me. Those of you who have read my story StandDown, our event is this week and I will be up to my ears in preparations. Please say a prayer that we are able to help as many homeless veterans as possible. This is a big, time-consuming and exhausting event, but well worth the time and effort if we are able to help those in need. Having said all this, please bear with me if you don't get an update for a little while.


	20. Chapter 20

Disclaimer: The primary characters in this story belong to Janet Evanovich. I make no money for this work. While I work in health care, the names and places detailed in this story are not based on specific persons or events.

A/N: Special thanks to FairTaxGirl (Linda) and Margaret Fowler for reviewing this for me. I don't know what I would do without you two!

_Previously:_

_I shook my head and said, "Ranger, I hope you know how much I appreciate everything you're doing for me, but I don't know what else you can possibly do if Michael isn't convicted." _

_Ranger raised an eyebrow at me and gave me a sardonic smile. "Stephanie, sometimes you just have to apply the right pressure." _

Control Chapter 20

"What do you mean 'apply the right pressure?'" I asked.

Ranger looked at me and said, "Do you really want to know?"

I thought about it a moment and said, "Only if you need help hiding the body."

Ranger laughed and slid his hand onto my knee. "I don't think it'll come to that, but thanks for the offer."

I grinned and said, "I'm also hell with a Buick."

He laughed again, which was my goal, and said, "Remind me to never piss you off. I think you've got a vengeful streak."

"You have no idea, Batman. I'm a dangerous woman." I smiled; glad the serious moment had passed. I enjoyed being with Ranger and hated that these problems continued to invade our time together. As we drove back to RangeMan we discussed our individual plans for the weekend. Ranger had a few take-downs planned and would probably be busy most of Saturday. I wanted to go shopping and maybe have lunch with a few friends. Ranger was all for this, but quickly urged me to take one of his vehicles, as well as one of his employees with me.

Then Ranger completely shocked me by saying, "Why don't we have dinner with your family Sunday? I'd like to meet them."

I stared at him for a full minute with my mouth hanging open. I literally wanted to ask him if he'd had too much wine or maybe accidentally ingested an illegal substance. He's a smart man, but he was insane if he thought it was a good idea to meet my family. I could picture him sprinting in the opposite direction and changing his locks once he met my grandmother. Or my mother could bring out some wedding magazines and start planning our marriage. I'm sure that would go over well. Dear God, if my sister and her family showed up, he might actually move to another office. No doubt, he'd leave Trenton forever. It's what I'd do if I was a stranger meeting my family for the first time.

Ranger glanced at me during my mental aerobics and said, "Babe, I'm sure it'll be fine. I've met my share of crazy family members. Hell, my own family is a little scary." He took my hand and kissed my palm.

I decided to suck it up and exhaled a big breath, saying, "Okay, but no matter what happens, you were warned." I paused and then added, "If it helps, I think I may be adopted." Ranger just chuckled, obviously thinking I was overreacting. He had no idea that he was underreacting.

We got back to RangeMan and sat on the sofa, sipping wine and watching a marathon of John Hughes movies. I fell asleep sometime during "The Breakfast Club" and woke the next morning to Ranger kissing me goodbye. "I'll be out all day, Babe. Lester will be with me, so Tank will accompany you anywhere you want to go. I left his number in the kitchen, so just give him a call when you're ready to head out."

I laughed out loud and said "Tank? That's wonderful!"

Ranger raised an eyebrow and I continued, saying "I wanted to have lunch with Lula today. This is good enough to qualify for an early Christmas present."

Ranger shook his head and said "Try not to scare Tank too bad, Babe. I need him around."

I chuckled and walked with him to the door, already looking forward to seeing him again tonight. After he left, I took a quick shower, dressed and had some cereal for breakfast. Ella had called, but I didn't want to bother her for breakfast when it was just me this morning. I called Lula and asked her about shopping and lunch. She was all for it and we decided to meet at Macy's at 10:00. I didn't tell her Tank would be with me, but I did tell her I had a surprise for her and she should wear her turquoise dress, as I thought it flattered her figure and looked great with her skin tone.

I called Tank, who said he would meet me in the garage. When I got downstairs, he was there waiting for me. As we walked toward an SUV he said, "So what's on our agenda for the day?" I smiled at him and said "We're meeting Lula."

Tank tripped over his feet, but righted himself before he hit the concrete. He looked at me and I could see the nervousness rolling off of him in waves. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea. "Tank, I'm sorry. I really wasn't trying to set you up. I was already planning to meet Lula when Ranger told me you would be with me today instead of Lester." He nodded and I asked him if he would rather I cancel my plans for the day.

He shook his head and said, "No, don't cancel your plans. I like Lula. I'm just not very good at casual conversation with women."

I reminded him that he was having a conversation with me. He frowned and said, "That's different. You're with the boss. I don't have to worry about impressing you."

I said, "Tank, you've already impressed Lula. She can't stop talking about you. Besides, I think she's okay with the strong, silent type."

Tank looked slightly more comfortable and I continued saying, "I don't think you've got anything to worry about. Lula and I will do most of the talking and she's not shy. Just let her take the lead."

He nodded and I let the subject drop. We got to the mall and walked into Macy's. Lula and I always met at the shoes, so I wandered over there with Tank walking two steps behind me. It felt about five degrees cooler in the enormous shadow he cast.

To say that Lula was surprised to see Tank would be a huge understatement. Lula was in shock. She had however, taken my suggestion about her wardrobe for the day. When she bent over to try on a pair of shoes, her cleavage was dangerously close to tumbling out and Tank was dangerously close to passing out. For the rest of the day, Lula flirted outrageously and Tank mostly smiled and nodded. He always made sure we were in a safe place and remained vigilant, his eyes constantly scanning the crowd.

Lula declined lunch, which was not like her, and we drove her around to her car on the other side of the mall. I let Lula ride up front with Tank and heard them talking quietly. I tried to zone out to give them a little privacy. As Lula stepped from the SUV, she said, "Be ready for tonight, Big Guy. Take a nap this afternoon and drink plenty of fluids. You're going to need them." She winked at him and then sashayed her way to her red firebird.

Tank turned to look at me in the back seat and he had a stunned look on her face. "Is she serious?" he asked. I tried to keep a straight face as I said, "Tank, you may want to take tomorrow off. You'll need time to recuperate."

As my words sunk in, a slow smile spread across his face and I realized for the first time just how handsome Tank was. We had lunch at Pino's and talked about ideas for his date with Lula. I told him what type of food she liked, the clubs she usually frequented and her taste in movies. I was excited for Lula that she finally had a date with the man she'd had a crush on since she met him over a year ago. I also found that I was happy for Tank. He always looked so serious and Lula would certainly add some spontaneity and fun to his life. I knew it was just one date, but I had a feeling the two of them would get along well and even if nothing progressed beyond one date, I thought each of them will have found a new friend.

On the drive back to RangeMan, Cal called my cell and asked if I had time to meet with him when Tank and I got back. We decided to meet in one of the conference rooms. I think he felt like it was too personal discussing his issues in Ranger's apartment or his own. It was fine by me either way. Tank showed me the way to the conference room and reminded me to call him if I planned to go out again.

Cal was sitting at the small conference table waiting for me. We talked mostly about his therapy and how it was going, but we also talked about how he was fitting back in at work.

"It's weird." Cal said. "Most of the guys that have been here a while act like nothing at all has happened. Les and Tank and Bobby have been great. Les still jokes around like he always has. Tank is as scary as usual and Bobby is more relaxed." He took a breath and continued, "I asked Hal to go have a beer with me tonight."

I said, "Cal, that's wonderful! I know you said you two have always been good friends. I'm so glad you feel up to getting back to your regular routine."

Cal nodded and said, "Well, I don't know that I'm really ready for it, but I'm tired of feeling sick. It's sort of like when you've been out with the flu and you can't wait to get back outside and feel better again. That's the way I feel. I can't wait to feel like myself again, without worrying about freaking out about something."

"Cal, it's completely normal to feel that way. Actually, I think you're doing better than most because you're able to recognize and articulate your thoughts and feelings. That's really hard for some people, particularly men." Cal smiled at my words and said, "Just because we don't say anything doesn't mean we don't understand."

I nodded and said, "Point taken."

We talked about Dr. Matthews and how the therapy was going. Cal was very positive about it, but did say again that he's nervous about the next phase of therapy. "When I meet with Dr. Matthews on Monday, he's going to give me my first assignment for the in-vivo exposure." I nodded. This was the hardest part of the therapy, but over time it was also the most successful. Cal spoke up again and said, "That's really what I wanted to talk to you about. When I do this for the first time, would you mind going with me? Dr. Matthews said that the first few times it would be good not to go by myself. If I'm going to freak out, I'd rather not do it in front of one of the other guys."

I nodded and said, "Sure, I'd be happy to go with you. Just let me know when and where."

He nodded and thanked me and then said, "I didn't know whether I should bring this up or not, but how are things going with Michael?"

I frowned and said, "Actually, we're hoping to get a warrant for his arrest today. He followed Lester and me yesterday. Ranger talked to the police, but I haven't heard anything else about it." I sighed and said, "I just want this to be over and to never have to see him again."

Cal leaned forward and with a serious voice said, "I know this is terrifying for you, but remember that we'll all make sure this bastard pays. We won't let him anywhere near you again."

I was continually amazed at these guys. They were all so scary looking, but so tender and comforting at the same time. "Thanks, Cal."

I left Cal at the control room and went up to Ranger's apartment. Right after I walked in the door, my cell phone rang. I dug it out of my purse and saw an unfamiliar number. It was Angela, one of the other VA social workers.

"Stephanie, I called because I've also filed a complaint against Derek with the union. Connie gave me your phone number."

I replied, "Thanks so much for calling me. I was hoping that we may be able to do this as a group so it would have more weight."

Angela said, "I agree. I don't know if any of the others will or not, though. They're sick of being harassed, but they're still afraid of losing their jobs."

After a few minutes of chatting, Angela said, "Listen, I've got a friend in the director's office and I heard that the OIG has launched an investigation against Derek. I don't know the details, but that's what we need to get in on."

I said, "I agree. I've got a friend who may be able to find out more. I may not be able to get in touch with him until Monday, but I'll let you know what I find out."

Angela and I disconnected, with promises to stay in touch. An OIG investigation was major and virtually no one came out of one untarnished. This was our chance to nail Derek. I called Connie and left her a message and also left a voice mail for my friend Brian, who worked for the Chief of Staff.

It was only about 2:00 by this time, so I changed into a t-shirt and loose shorts, turned on the television and laid down to take a nap. I woke a few hours later with my head against a hard, muscular thigh and fingers stroking through my hair.

I opened my eyes and saw him smiling down at me. "Hey, stranger" I said.

"Sleep good Babe?" I smiled and said, "I was still tired from all that mauling last night."

He chuckled and said, "Well, it was 24 hours ago and I find that my memory isn't as good as it once was. Care to give me a reminder?"

With a serious face, I said, "I know exactly what you mean and I find that I have to kind of feel my way around to remember certain things." I let my hand trail over his thighs up to his zipper. I eased it down and was happy to see that not only was Ranger commando, but he was more than read for me. Moving my head to a better position, I said, "You know, they say that taste is a great way to jog memories."

I swiped my tongue across his head and then lowered my mouth onto his shaft. The fingers in my hair tightened and I heard a muffled, "Babe…" as he let out a low groan. I smiled around the huge cock in my mouth, unbelievably happy that I seemed to have the same effect on him that he had on me. I slid down in front of him and worked him with my mouth, loving the taste and feel of him. I could feel the muscles in his legs tighten under me and he said, "Babe, as much as I love what you're doing, please stops. I want to be inside you."

I stroked him with my mouth one more time and then stood, quickly taking off my clothes. I straddled him, sinking down slowly onto his cock. I had never felt this way with another man. It wasn't just that he was well-endowed or a great lover, though he was both of those things. Ranger made me feel simultaneously sexy and safe.

I began to move slowly as Ranger's hands came up to grab my face and pull me down for a kiss. Feeling our tongues stroke against each other increased my speed. Ranger's hands moved from my face to my breasts, bringing his head forward to lick and suck at my nipples. I moaned and Ranger began to thrust upward as I moved over him, creating even more delicious friction. He gripped my hips and I could feel my orgasm start. With one more thrust I was flying and Ranger was right behind me. I collapsed on top of him and felt his arms go around me, stroking my hair and back gently. After I recovered, I rose up to look at him and saw the most tender expression on his face. He brushed my hair from my face and cupped my cheek, giving me a sweet, gentle kiss. I rested my forehead against his and felt the emotion pass between us. I eventually moved off of him and grabbed my things to head to the bathroom.

When I returned, Ranger was waiting for me in the kitchen and handed me a bottle of water. He put his arm around me and we leaned against the counter standing side by side.

"Babe, I need to talk to you about something."

Well, this couldn't be good. "What's wrong?" I asked.

"I spoke with Eddie a little while ago. He did get the warrant signed, but they can't find Michael. His car is at his apartment, but he's not there. "

A/N: I'm sorry for the long wait between updates. Thanks for all of the PM's about Stand Down. This was our most successful and most organized event yet. It went very well and although I'm exhausted, it was well worth it. Please remember that Prolonged Exposure Therapy (PE) wouldn't progress this fast in the real world. For fiction's sake, I sped it up. The OIG is the Office of the Inspector General. An OIG inspection is a very big deal and more senior officials lose their jobs following this inspection than any other. Thanks again to all of you for sticking with me and continuing to follow the story. Hopefully, my life will slow down a little and I can get more frequent updates out soon.


	21. Chapter 21

Disclaimer: The primary characters in this story belong to Janet Evanovich. I make no money for this work. While I work in health care, the names and places detailed in this story are not based on specific persons or events.

A/N: Special thanks to FairTaxGirl (Linda) and Margaret Fowler for reviewing this for me. I don't know what I would do without you two!

_Previously:_

"_Babe, I need to talk to you about something."_

_Well, this couldn't be good. "What's wrong?" I asked._

"_I spoke with Eddie a little while ago. He did get the warrant signed, but they can't find Michael. His car is at his apartment, but he's not there. "_

Control Chapter 21

I swallowed and said, "So no one knows where he is?"

Ranger answered, "I still had a man on him. It looks like he went to his father's office, went out the back door and took another car. The police questioned his father, but he's not talking." Ranger took a moment and said, "I spoke with Eddie and the police understand that RangeMan has a vested interest in finding Michael. The police not agreeing wouldn't stop me, but now they won't try to get in our way. We'll find him, Babe."

I nodded and leaned against him, grateful that this wonderful man was in my life. "Thank you, Ranger."

Ranger shook his head and said, "Babe, you don't have to thank me. I regret letting Michael go the day I had him in the guard shack at your apartment complex. I knew it wouldn't be enough to scare him off for good and I still let him go."

Now it was my turn to shake my head. "Ranger, it's not your job to protect me or take care of Michael."

Ranger frowned and said, "You're wrong. It's completely my job to protect you and I take pride in how good I am at my job. You have become my most important client and I promise you that my men and I will handle this. Michael will be found."

I put my head into his chest and said, "I know you'll take care of it. I've never met anyone like you." I gave him a gentle kiss and we went on to more pleasurable pursuits.

Sunday morning, I called my mom to tell her that Ranger and I would be coming by for Sunday dinner. To say that she was thrilled was an understatement.

Ranger and I spent the day together, talking and laughing and learning more about each other. I learned more about his work and found that for such a major badass, Ranger was a very smart businessman. He told me about getting started in Trenton as a bounty hunter and slowly building his security business. He picked the men he trusted most during his military career to work with him and it had been a very lucrative venture. Ranger said he opened Trenton first, then Miami and later Boston. He had an Atlanta office at one time, but sold it to a former major who had been under his command in the Rangers.

As we talked, I realized that although I loved a lot of things about him, the thing I loved the most was his sense of honor and loyalty. I knew all too well how rare it was to find a person like this. Most people would say they were both honorable and loyal, but few lived their lives that way. With Ranger, if he made you a promise, you knew you could count on it. While staying at RangeMan I also learned that this wasn't just Ranger's code, he only hired men he could trust with his life. I hadn't spent that much time with most of the men, except for Lester, Cal and Tank, but I knew instinctively that Ranger would never employ anyone that he wasn't 100% sure of and his instincts about people were flawless.

For my part, I told Ranger stories about growing up in the Burg and stories about my crazy family. I told him more about my crazy, but lovable Grandma, my borderline alcoholic mother and my mostly silent dad. I told him about my sister and her strange husband and my niece who thinks she's a horse. We even shared some creepy crawly Vinnie stories. Ranger laughed and didn't seem at all worried about meeting my family.

We talked more about Michael and I made him a list of possible places Michael might try to hide. In truth, I couldn't tell him a lot because I had never met any of Michael's friends, other than Derek, and I didn't know any of his extended family. I had only met his father one time and that was when we happened to have dinner at the same place one night. His father had been perfectly polite, but he was also cold and wasn't a man to inspire others to get to know him better. Not that it really mattered, but I couldn't help but wonder if he had been an abusive father and that was why Michael had developed such controlling and abusive ways himself.

I told Ranger, "You know, I've never had to be scared of anyone being after me before. I've had my share of patients who were a little too attached to me, but beyond the rare occasion of a really psychotic patient taking a swing at me, no one has ever really tried to hurt me because I'm me. Even the shooting at the shelter was just random. He didn't know me. He just knew that the staff there was helping his wife stay away from him. It wasn't personal. This thing with Michael is personal."

Ranger put his arms around me and said, "It's strange being on the other side of the desk, isn't it?"

I nodded and said, "Yes and I don't like it at all."

We stood there for a moment, just holding each other and I hated to say what came out of my mouth next. "Come on. It's time to face the firing squad."

Ranger laughed lightly and said, "Babe, it'll be fine. Let's just get it over with."

Ranger did feel strongly enough about meeting my family that he changed out of his usual SWAT gear into black slacks and a black dress shirt. It wasn't overly dressy and he wasn't wearing a tie, but he looked incredibly edible. I didn't tell him that I was sure my grandma would point out how edible he looked.

Ranger drove us in the Porsche and as we pulled to a stop at the curb, I could see my mother and grandma peeking around the curtains in the living room. Usually they would be waiting at the front door, openly staring, but I figured they wanted to see Ranger before he saw them.

Ranger never failed to amaze me. He wasn't nervous at all. In fact, he didn't even look mildly uncomfortable. He opened my door and took my hand and we walked to the front door. By the time we reached the porch, my mother and grandmother were standing there with their mouths open. My grandmother was also drooling a little bit and moving her dentures around with her tongue. This usually meant she was excited about something.

Mom opened the door and I made the introductions. Ranger shook hands with them both and mom and grandma didn't move. They didn't allow us to come inside and they didn't say anything. They just stood there and stared. I could have expected this from Grandma Mazur, but mom could usually be depended on to have perfect manners and be an excellent hostess.

I snuck a look at Ranger and he looked mildly amused, but not offended, so I eventually said, "Mom is it okay if we come in now?"

Mom seemed to shake herself out of her stupor and she said, "Oh my goodness, please forgive me! Please, come on in." She and grandma stepped aside and Ranger and I stepped into the living room, where dad was sitting watching the evening news. Dad looked up and started at the sight of Ranger. For the first time in my life, I watched my father stand up to greet someone I had brought home. He put his paper down slowly, stood and walked over to us. "You must be Manoso?" Dad asked.

Ranger replied simply, "Yes, sir. Carlos Manoso. Most people call me Ranger." Dad nodded and said, "I was an Army Ranger myself and I understand the significance of the word. I've heard good things about you, both from my daughter and others."

Mom came out of the kitchen and asked me to help with a few things. This was clearly a ploy to get me alone as I have a hard time boiling water by myself. When I came in, Grandma said, "Damn, Stephanie."

"What?" I asked. Mom and Grandma exchanged a look and Mom cleared her throat and said, "Well, he's certainly very handsome. Not quite what we were expecting."

I was a little confused. "What were you expecting?" I asked.

Mom blushed and said, "Well, when you said he was a security specialist, I sort of pictured an older, overweight cop type." I suddenly understood their reaction now. Ranger was certainly not an overweight cop type. He was more the People's "Sexiest Man Alive" type.

I helped Mom take the dishes to the table. She had made a much healthier meal in deference to Ranger. She made a roasted chicken and vegetables that were not marinated in oil or butter. She even skipped the mashed potatoes and made rice pilaf instead. She didn't even make Pineapple Upside Down cake. Instead, she made some type of low-sugar Apple Crumble. Honestly, I was disappointed.

We sat there, filling our plates and everything was going surprisingly well until Dad said "So, Ranger, did Stephanie tell you about the time that she ran over that Morelli boy with the Buick and broke his leg?" My mouth fell open and a carrot came out. What the hell was Dad doing?

Ranger, however, just gave a small smile and said, "She did tell me about that. I wish I could've seen it."

Grandma, not to be outdone, said, "Did she tell you about the time that she and her friend Mary Lou were playing dress up and they had just heard the story of Medusa?" Ranger shook his head and Grandma continued, "They broke into the tampons and Steph glued them all over her head." Ranger thumped me on the back as I choked on the rice. I could feel my face flaming. The tampon story? Did she really have to tell that one?

Mom then piped up and said, "Ranger, if you'd like, I can show you some old family photos after dinner."

Oh, crap. Why were they doing this to me? I'm sure the family pictures she's talking about include me naked in the bathtub. No one ever brings out sweet, Easter dress photos. I spoke up and said, "Mom, I don't think we need to worry about the pictures tonight." Ranger squeezed my knee under the table. I looked over at him and he was giving me a look of high amusement and support. I leaned over to him while everyone else was occupied with their plates and whispered, "Adopted." I saw him smother a smile and felt him squeeze my knee a little more. When I looked back up, all eyes were on us. Mom and Grandma were smiling and Dad was just watching us.

After dinner, Grandma went to get her new camera to show me. She wanted me to take a picture of her in her purple track suit so that she could use it for a new 75 plus singles site she had discovered online. While we were playing with the camera, I saw her snap a picture of Ranger. He was talking to my dad didn't notice. I walked into the kitchen to spend a minute with Mom before we left. She was putting up the leftovers, but stopped when I came in and took a seat, gesturing to me to do the same. I sat next to her and she looked at me and said, "You're in love with him."

I was more than a little surprised. We didn't talk about feelings in my family. If I was sick or sad or upset, my mom made me my favorite foods. We didn't cry on each other and we didn't talk about what was wrong or what could be done. It wasn't that we didn't love each other, we just had never been that type of family. But when my mom made me Pineapple Upside Down cake, I knew it was her way of telling me that she loved me.

With no previous experience with these types of talks, I simply nodded. "Does he know?" she asked. I shook my head. "He's in love with you, too" she added. I held my breath and said, "How do you know?"

She shook her head and said, "Stephanie, when two people look at each other the way I saw you and Ranger looking at each other tonight, it's easy to see. We could tell it when you walked up the sidewalk together. Why do you think your dad bothered to get up and shake his hand?" If my mom wasn't good at talking about feelings, my dad never even attempted it. He showed love by asking me about when I last got my oil changed or discussing the latest baseball or hockey game.

My train of thought was interrupted when Mom said, "Stephanie, even if you weren't dating him, we would have welcomed him simply because of his attempts to keep you safe and protected." I smiled and said, "Thanks, Mom" and squeezed her hand quickly. Then I got the hell out of that kitchen before I agreed to learn to cook or broke down in tears.

A few minutes later Ranger and I were on our way back to Haywood. He had shaken my dad's hand and mom had given him dessert leftovers. This was her version of a hug. During the drive Ranger remarked, "That really wasn't so bad, Babe."

I said, "You really think so?" He nodded and said, "After everything you said about your grandmother, I thought she would be a lot more outrageous."

I smirked and said, "She took a picture of your ass, Batman."

I felt rather than saw Ranger's eyes cut to me. I had to fight to keep a straight face. Eventually he said, "Why did your grandmother take a picture of my ass?"

I couldn't hold my smile in anymore and said, "Have you seen your ass? I'd like a picture of it, too."

Though he kept a straight face, I could see the corners of his eyes crinkle just a little as he said, "Smartass."

We pulled into Haywood with me laughing and imagining what Grandma Mazur was going to do with the picture. As we pulled to a stop in the garage, we saw Tank sitting in an Explorer. He looked a little pale and for a man as dark as he is, that's really saying something. Ranger got out of the car and looked at his friend for a moment before walking over to the SUV. Tank didn't seem to notice Ranger standing at the window and I could tell that this concerned Ranger even more. By the time Ranger tapped lightly on the window, I was standing beside him. He had to tap three more times before Tank looked up and noticed us. It seemed to take him a moment for his eyes to fully focus. Eventually, he settled his eyes on me and said, "You didn't tell me Lula was so…..energetic."

I saw the muscle in Ranger's jaw twitch as he fought not to smile. "Are you okay man?"

Tank was trying to ease his way out of the SUV and said, "I feel like I need a blood transfusion. Is it possible to overdose on sex?"

"I don't know, but I'll do some research." Ranger replied, giving me a wolf grin. I could feel myself blush. I definitely didn't want to discuss our research in front of Tank. I took Tank's arm and said, "Come on, Big Guy, let's get you to your apartment." Ranger got on his other side and threw Tank's arm around his shoulders, taking most of Tank's weight.

As we got in the elevator, I looked up at Tank and said, "So, does this mean you're not going to see Lula again?"

Tank looked down at me and said, "Of course I'm going to see her! I just need some vitamins and a few days to recover. We've got a date Tuesday." I stifled my giggle and watched as Tank got a somewhat dreamy look on his face. After a few minutes, he said, "Oh, yeah. I'm definitely up for more of Lula." In a completely uncharacteristic move, Tank looked down at me, grinned and gave me a kiss on the cheek. He said, "Thanks, Stephanie" and then stepped off the elevator to head for his apartment.

As the elevator doors closed, I looked over at Ranger and he leaned down to whisper in her ear, "Let's go start that research, Babe."

A/N: I'm sorry for the long delay with this chapter. Real life has been a bitch this week and I feel like I've kind of lost my thread with this story. Real life should slow down a little this weekend and I'm hoping to have time for my usual twice weekly updates again. Thanks to all of you for your continued reviews and support of this story. Please read and review…


	22. Chapter 22

Disclaimer: The primary characters in this story belong to Janet Evanovich. I make no money for this work. While I work in health care, the names and places detailed in this story are not based on specific persons or events.

A/N: Special thanks to FairTaxGirl (Linda) and Margaret Fowler for reviewing this for me. I don't know what I would do without you two!

_Previously:_

_In a completely uncharacteristic move, Tank looked down at me, grinned and gave me a kiss on the cheek. He said, "Thanks, Stephanie" and then stepped off the elevator to head for his apartment. _

_As the elevator doors closed, I looked over at Ranger and he leaned down to whisper in her ear, "Let's go start that research, Babe." _

Control Chapter 22

I woke up on Monday morning and groaned. I really wanted to just call in sick rather than have to face whatever was coming with Derek. Ranger had sapped all of my energy with his "research" and I found myself snuggling back down in the bed and drifting back to sleep easily. What seemed like a minute later, I was awoken by a hot and sweaty Ranger. He had apparently been at the gym and had on a sleeveless t-shirt and loose shorts, all in black, of course. I swear the man was pouring out pheromones instead of sweat. I still had a hard time believing I was with this bizarrely handsome man. He was actually so fine it was a little freaky. Who looks this good after working out?

Ranger smirked at me, as if he could read my thoughts. "Babe, you better get moving if you want breakfast before work. I'll let you have the shower first." He pulled me up to a sitting position and laid a hell of a kiss on me. "Or, we could shower together. Water conservation is very important to me." He kissed me again and as we broke apart I said a little breathlessly, "I'm definitely calling in sick now."

Ranger smiled and said, "Nope, you told me last night not to let you get out of work for any reason. You've got a mission to find out what Derek's hiding. The longer you put it off the harder it'll be." I groaned at his ridiculous logic and stomped my way into the bathroom to get ready. Twenty minutes later, I sat down at the breakfast bar with Ranger, ready to dig into the amazing breakfast Ella always left. Today she had made some type of pastry with a dusting of powdered sugar on top. I looked at Ranger and he said, "Ella made it especially for you."

I bit into it and moaned as the milk chocolate inside melted against my tongue. Ella had made chocolate pastries. "Oh my God" I said. "This is almost better than sex."

Ranger frowned and said, "I must not be doing something right."

I laughed and responded, "Ranger, I can't imagine you doing anything wrong in that area."

We chatted for a few minutes and I told him about my plans for the day. I was hoping to get in touch with Brian this morning and see if he had any information on the OIG investigation with Derek. I also hoped to talk with Angela and Connie more, to see if we could come up with a plan for our complaint. Ranger had people still looking for Michael and the police were also looking for him, but no luck so far. I knew he would pop up when we least expected it. Just like a boil on the ass.

I had been thinking about something and wanted to run it by Ranger. I didn't know how he would feel about it, but it was worth a shot. "I've been looking around for the past several months for a new site for a PTSD group. I haven't had any luck so far, but I thought about it this weekend and RangeMan would be a perfect place."

Ranger sat his coffee down and looked at me, considering the idea. "What would this entail?" he asked.

I smiled inwardly, thinking he was at least willing to consider the idea. "All it would really take on your part is the use of one of the conference rooms one night a week for a few hours. Sometimes the peer counselors that lead the groups like to show educational videos, so a TV and DVD player would be helpful. If you could spare a coffee pot that would also be great." I watched Ranger thinking about it and added, "The men that would come are all stable. This is not a beginners group. It's a long-term support group. The reason I thought of RangeMan is that it's difficult to find a safe location where the group has enough privacy."

Ranger nodded at my statement and said, "It's fine with me. Actually, I like the idea of RangeMan being able to support the veterans in some way. Go ahead and set it up. Let me know if there's anything you need from me. Just let me know when you're planning to start."

I stood up, walked around the table and planted myself in his lap, giving him a thankful hug. Ranger held me and rubbed one of his hands up my back until it landed at the back of my neck, where he started slowly kneading my muscles. I let out a moan of pleasure and felt his muscles tense beneath me. I raised my head, intending to get a kiss when there was a knock at the door. Ranger rested his head against mine and said, "Whoever that is has lousy timing."

I smiled and gave him a quick kiss, saying, "It's okay. I've got to get to work anyway."

While I gathered my purse, Ranger opened the door. It was Lester and he looked way to chipper for a Monday morning. "Hey Beautiful, you ready to go?"

I headed towards the door and said, "I'm as ready as I'm ever going to be."

I stopped at Ranger and gave him a hug and he pulled me to him for a kiss that was a lot more than sweet. When we looked back at Lester, he had a grin on his face, but held his comments at a look from Ranger.

"Have a good day, Babe. Santos, behave yourself." I gave Ranger a smile and a finger wave and headed for the elevator with Lester. Once the doors closed, Lester looked at me, wagging his eyebrows like a dirty old man and said, "Did I interrupt something, Beautiful?" I rolled my eyes at him and said, "You know Ranger will kick your ass for that comment." His boyish grin was beautiful as he said, "Yeah, but it'd be worth it if you tell me what kind of underwear you started out with."

I had to laugh at that and entwined my arm with his as we headed out to the garage.

When we got to the VA, Lester and I stopped to chat with Isaac, who was in his usual morning spot in the front gazebo. Isaac was his regular cheerful self, but I was surprised when I heard him tell Lester thank you for this weekend. I watched as they did a complicated handshake and Lester and I continued into the building. Once inside, I turned to Lester and asked what had happened over the weekend.

Lester shrugged and said, "Well, Isaac likes to come upstairs and keep me company while I'm waiting for you. We were talking one day and he said there was a movie he really wanted to see. I picked him up Saturday and we went to see the movie and had a meal."

I beamed at Lester and said, "Lester that was a wonderful thing you did. He doesn't have any family and I don't know when the last time was he got to go somewhere like that. The recreation staff takes groups of veterans to movies and dinner and ball games, but I bet it was a lot more special for him to go with you solo."

Lester replied, "I had a good time, too and it made me feel good that I was able to do that for him. I talked with some of the other guys about vets like Isaac and we all agreed to make an effort to visit at least one vet a week and try to do something special with him." Lester looked down and said, "You know, until Cal had trouble, none of us had really spent any time at a VA before. We're all young and healthy and just haven't had the need to be here. This has really opened our eyes."

I smiled and leaned into Lester. "You're all great guys and I know the veterans will appreciate what all of you are doing."

When we got to the unit, Cal was once again waiting for us. He had a standing 6:00 appointment with Dr. Matthews and I think he preferred to talk here, rather than at RangeMan. We bid goodbye to Lester and Cal stepped into my office with me. I was glad that he felt free to talk to me and I certainly understood his desire to talk about it away from where he lived and worked. It had to be an awkward position for him.

"Today's session went well and I'm supposed to start the in-vivo exposure portion tonight. Are you still willing to come with me the first few times?" Cal asked.

I nodded and said, "Of course. Where are we going?"

Cal shrugged and said, "He left the first time up to me. He said it should be somewhere I don't feel very comfortable, but that I know is safe."

I nodded, familiar with this process. "Do you have anywhere in mind?"

He said, "I've got a few ideas, but I haven't made up my mind. Can I let you know tonight?"

"Sure." I said. "What time do you want to head out?"

Cal replied, "I worked on monitors all weekend, so I'm off today and tomorrow. Why don't you give me a call when you finish with dinner and then we'll go? We only need to stay about 30 minutes."

I agreed and Cal left, saying he wanted to run some errands today and have lunch with a friend.

I met with the new patients who had been admitted over the weekend and had just stepped back in my office when my phone rang. It was my friend Brian, who worked for the Chief of Staff. He said he had some things to talk to me about, but didn't want to do it over the phone. He said he would come to my office since we couldn't meet privately in the Director's suite, where his office is.

A few minutes later, Lester called me on my cell and said there was a guy outside wanting entrance to the unit to see me. Brian wasn't a clinical employee and therefore didn't have a key card for access to the locked units. I stepped outside to see Brian looking at Lester warily. Lester raised an eyebrow at me and I opened the door.

"Lester, this is a friend of mine and he's got some information that might help me with a problem I've been having." I explained.

Brian stepped into my office and shut the door. He turned to look at me and said, "You want to explain why you've got a bodyguard?"

I frowned, assuming everyone already knew the story. "It's a long story, but basically Michael won't take no for an answer." Brian was about to start asking for details, but I cut him off, saying, "I'll tell you all about it later. Right now I want to hear about Derek."

He nodded and said, "Well, it's about as bad as it can get. Remember, you didn't get any information from me." At my nod, he continued, "About 6 months ago, one of the outpatient social workers got very sick at work and there was no one else to cover his patients for that evening, so Derek agreed to take the shift. A young, OIF veteran came in and reported to Derek that he was seeing demon women and holding conversations with a friend that had been killed in Iraq. Derek refused admission and didn't pass him on to the psychiatrist. He then documented that 'due to the lateness of the day, veteran will not be admitted.' It's actually in the record. That veteran, Shawn Rogers, stepped in front of a train three days later."

I felt my mouth fall open. I couldn't believe something like this had happened. I mean, Derek was an asshole, but even assholes can be good professionals. It sounded like Derek had disregarded every ethical practice known to man. There was no way that a psychotic patient should have walked out the door without receiving help. The lateness of the day had never been an issue in the past. A psychiatrist was always on duty and it wouldn't have been a problem to get him admitted. It was our policy that if there wasn't a bed available at our hospital, we transferred patients to another VA or a community mental health hospital until a bed became available.

Brian continued, "Apparently this vet has had trouble since he came back home. He's been seen at several other VA's around the country with similar symptoms. There's no record of Derek even setting up any outpatient care for him either. He just let him walk out the door."

"Mr. Rogers' family is understandably very upset. They've filed a wrongful death suit against the VA, stating that if their son had gotten the treatment he needed, he would still be alive. It's hard to argue with their logic, since it's completely true."

"They've managed to complain to the right people, though. They got in touch with a senator, who brought it to the attention of the OIG, who immediately launched an investigation. An OIG panel was here on station for about a week conducting the investigation, but it was kept very quiet. They finished last week and their findings are expected any day now."

Brian took a breath and said, "If Derek is found guilty, he'll definitely lose his job, but he may also face jail time. He's also been accused of harassing several employees over the past few months. The word is that he thinks he's going down, he's going to take as many people as possible with him."

I sat there stunned for a moment and finally said, "I had no idea about any of this. I can't imagine what Mr. Rogers family is going through. Even though nothing will bring their son back, hopefully this investigation will keep anything like this from ever happening to another veteran."

Brian and I talked for a while longer and I told him about the problems with Michael and how Derek has been harassing me since I stopped seeing his friend. Brian asked, "So that's the deal with the bodyguard? It's because of Michael?"

I nodded and explained, "The man I'm seeing owns a security company full of scary ex-military men. The guy outside the door is Lester and he's been accompanying me to work since the attack."

Brian smiled and said, "Well, it sounds like you've got yourself a good one if he cares enough to provide you with a personal bodyguard." I smiled back and said, "I certainly think so."

He stood up and said, "I've got to get back to work. You take care of yourself, Kiddo and call me if you need anything." We exchanged quick hugs and then he was gone.

After Brian left, I called Connie and Angela and asked them to meet me somewhere off station for lunch, so that I could share this information with them.

A/N: I left this chapter here for a few reasons, mostly because I want to post it now so that I can concentrate on Cal in the next chapter. As for the OIG investigation into Derek's actions, this case is actually true. It happened at a VA in Palo Alto, CA. You can read about it at http: / www. baycitizen. Org /veterans /story /veterans-death-under-investigation/

It's a very sad story and I had not heard about it until recently. For the record, a psychiatric patient should ALWAYS be evaluated by a psychiatrist if there is any hint of psychosis or suicidal or homicidal ideations. I cannot tell you the number of times I have begged psychiatrists to see a patient that was in my office because I felt like they weren't safe to leave alone. There should always be a "warm hand-off" of such patients, where they do not leave the sight of one staff member until another one takes over.

I hope you enjoyed the chapter and my attempt to give some background information. Please review. I love to hear your comments!


	23. Chapter 23

Disclaimer: The primary characters in this story belong to Janet Evanovich. I make no money for this work. While I work in health care, the names and places detailed in this story are not based on specific persons or events.

A/N: Special thanks to FairTaxGirl (Linda) and Margaret Fowler for reviewing this for me. I don't know what I would do without you two!

_Previously:_

_After Brian left, I called Connie and Angela and asked them to meet me somewhere off station for lunch, so that I could share this information with them. _

Control Chapter 23

Connie, Angela and I agreed to meet at Shorty's. It was small and out of the way and we weren't likely to see anyone who would care to overhear our conversation. Connie and Angela drove separately and I filled Lester in on the way to the restaurant. Lester was just as shocked as I was. Connie and Angela just stared at me as I relayed the story Brian had told me. Angela said, "I'd heard there was an OIG team on station, but I didn't know what it was about. I never would have imagined it would be something like this."

Connie, as the most practical of us, said, "Do the two of you understand what this means?"

Angela and I looked at each other and then back at Connie as she said, "Derek's buried himself. You two don't need to do anything but wait to see him carried out in handcuffs. Do your best to stay away from him. Don't be alone with him. Don't respond to any threats. Don't get pulled into a pissing contest with him. He's going to do his best to make everyone's lives hell for as long as he can. If the OIG has been here, he knows he's on borrowed time."

I nodded and said, "The person who relayed this information to me felt the same way."

Angela nodded and said, "If I have to run screaming from the room, I'll stay away from him. The nurses in my clinic will help. They can't stand him either."

I said, "It's a little harder for me, since he's made a habit of waiting in my office for me. But if I have to be near him, I'll be on my best behavior and simply smile and nod."

We finished our pizza and agreed to talk often and compare notes. We were all hoping that this would be over soon.

Lester and I drove back to the VA and just like he knew we'd been talking about him, Derek called me as soon as I walked in my office, saying he needed to go over my performance evaluation with me. Unfortunately, it really was time for my evaluation. I tried every excuse in the book, but Derek shut me down, saying that he had left mine too long and it had to be in to HR by the end of the day. I finally sucked it up and said I would be at his office in a few minutes.

I stepped off of my unit at the double doors and turned to Lester. Lester took one look at my face and said, "We're going to see Derek aren't we?"

I nodded and he wrapped an arm around my shoulders. "Okay, Beautiful. You know I'm going in with you, right?"

I shook my head and said, "How about you wait just outside the door? If you're with me, it'll probably make things escalate if it really is just a meeting about my performance evaluation."

Lester raised one eyebrow and said, "How likely is it that this is just about your evaluation?"

I shrugged and said "Please let me have my few minutes of denial. It helps keep me sane."

Lester grinned and said, "I'm here to please."

We made it to Derek's door, which was closed. Before I knocked, Lester said, "Keep the door open and I'll be right beside you if you need me. Don't let him get to you. Remember what you said at Shorty's, 'smile and nod.'"

I smiled and nodded, trying it out. My face felt like it was going to crack. Lester gave me a grin and knuckle bump. I knocked and heard the runt tell me to enter. I did leave the door cracked and crossed to Derek's desk, where he waved me toward a guest chair. I let out a breath and felt myself relax when I saw my performance evaluation sitting on the desk. My relief was short-lived when Derek started the meeting out by saying, "I want you to know that I've rated your evaluation as 'poor.'"

I sputtered out, "Excuse me?" My voice rising a little more than I liked. Smile. Nod. Smile, nod. Fucker.

Derek sat down and surveyed me like a king overlooking his estate. "Stephanie, let's be frank. Your work has been substandard for some time now. You are habitually late to work. I found three psychosocials that were completed outside of the required timeframe and let's not forget the recent suicide of Mr. Hamilton. Frankly, you're lucky the committee decided to let you off."

I could feel my temperature rising as I said "First of all, you know good and well that those psychosocials were late because I was out with the flu and you didn't arrange coverage for my unit."

Derek shrugged and said, "If you're taking time off, it's your responsibility to arrange for your coverage."

I fired back, "If I'm taking a scheduled vacation, yes, it's my responsibility. If I'm out sick, I can hardly be expected to call around the hospital to find a social worker to cover me. That's your job."

Before he could say anything else, I continued with, "Furthermore, the committee didn't 'let me off.' I did nothing wrong. A man lost his life and that is truly terrible, but it wasn't because I didn't do my job." I wanted to badly to say, "Unlike you" but managed to hold my tongue. I didn't want to cause Brian any trouble since he was the one who gave me the information.

Derek continued, "Regardless of your opinion, as your supervisor, I feel that you were negligent in your care of Mr. Hamilton. Furthermore, your relationship with a former patient has raised several eyebrows in the administration. It doesn't help matters that you now have a glorified German Shepherd following you around at work."

I sat there looking at his smug face and seeing how much he was enjoying this. I could feel the 'smile and nod' theory flying right out the window. I stood and said, "There is nothing improper in my relationship with Cal Roberts. He was a patient on the acute unit and I have talked with him about his treatment and progress many times since his release. He is doing well and has asked for my assistance. There is nothing unethical going on. He's a good man that I would like to see be successful with his treatment. That's it." Of course, my mother always told me that I never knew when to quit while I was ahead. "You, however, have made it a habit to harass and intimidate your employees. I have no intention of being cowed by you, so you can give it a rest."

Derek rose to his impressive height of 5'2 and attempted to stare me down. "I am placing you on administrative leave pending a full investigation of your work and the ethical considerations surrounding your personal life."

"How dare you try to threaten me you little runt!" I screeched. I felt Lester step up beside me, but didn't take my attention off Derek.

Derek didn't pay attention to Les either as he snarled out, "Fine. Since you don't like threats, let's make it leave without pay."

And just like that, I screamed "Fuck you and the horse you rode in on!" and tried to dive across the desk, my hands itching to get around his puny throat. Lester grabbed me from behind and pulled me up against his side and started trying to guide me out the door, trying to calm me down. "Come on, Beautiful. Let's just get out of here and I'll buy you a nice big box of donuts."

As we reached the door, it was thrown open by 3 VA police and 3 other men in suits. Derek immediately said, "Excellent! Arrest this woman for attempted assault." I was having a nightmarish vision of having to call my slimy cousin for bail when one of the men in a suit stepped forward and said "Derek Moore?"

Derek looked at him and said, "Yes?"

The man pulled out some type of badge and said, "I am Deputy Luke Adams with the U.S. Marshals Service. You are hereby under arrest for the wrongful death of Shawn Rogers."

I watched in shock as Derek was cuffed, read his Miranda rights and led from the room. Derek seemed to be in as much shock as I was and didn't spare me another look as he was marched away.

I looked at Lester and Lester looked at me. After a moment, the reality that Derek wouldn't be a problem for me anymore finally sunk in and I jumped into Lester's arms yelling, "Ding, Dong, the witch is dead!"

Lester laughed along with me and spun me around, giving me a big hug and a kiss on the cheek. We walked back to my office and I conferenced in Angela and Connie, telling them what I had seen. Angela was particularly jealous that she hadn't seen it herself. I gathered my things and Lester and I walked down to the parking lot.

After Lester opened the truck door for me and started walking around to the driver's side, I pulled out my cell phone, intending to call Ranger to share the news about Derek. I had a text message from an unknown number that stated, "Bitch, don't think I've forgotten about you. You'll pay for what you've done." I knew it could only be from Michael. It made the hair on my arms stand straight up.

When Lester got in the truck, I handed him my cell phone. Lester took the phone and read the text quickly. He put the truck in drive and I noticed him scanning the area more than usual on the drive back to RangeMan. He glanced over at me and said, "Is this the first text like this you've gotten?"

"Yes and hopefully it'll be the only one." I said.

Lester sighed and said, "I hope so too, but things like this usually mean the person's behavior is escalating and they start taking more chances."

Although I didn't think I really wanted to know, I asked, "What kind of chances?"

Lester explained, "Usually it means the attempts at contact increase, usually in a public place. He might start calling you or showing up at work again, but mostly he'll be looking for chances to get you alone. We don't know what his ultimate goal is, but it can't be anything good."

I swallowed and tried to sound brave as I said, "Well considering the wording of that text, I think we can all agree he won't be asking me out again."

Lester looked at me sideways and said, "Don't worry, Beautiful. We've got your back."

It was about 4:00 when we reached RangeMan and I saw Ranger's Porsche in the garage. Lester tugged on my hand and said, "Come on, we've got to go report this to the boss."

Ranger's office door was open and he looked up, giving me a "Babe" and a small smile. I automatically smiled back, but Ranger was focusing on the expression on Lester's face and asked, "What happened?"

Lester, still holding my cell phone, handed it to Ranger. I could see a muscle tick in his jaw as he read the message. "We had a lead on Michael today, but he was gone when we got there. He's a slippery little son of a bitch."

I nodded and said, "He is sneaky. He always managed to show up where I least expected him."

Ranger continued, "We think he's meeting his father somewhere for new vehicles, trying to stay below the radar. His court date is tomorrow and I don't expect him to show up. If he doesn't show, then he's officially FTA and has the active warrant. The police will be more interested in him then and we can also start taking different measures to find him at that point." Ranger looked like he was looking forward to using those different measures.

Ranger studied both of us again and said, "Did anything else happen today?"

Lester and I raced to tell Ranger about what happened with Derek. Lester laughed and said, "Ranger, you don't need to worry about this one. If I hadn't been there, she would have squashed Derek like a bug. She tried to dive over the desk at him!"

I frowned at Lester and said, "Hey, don't think I've forgotten about the donuts you promised me." Lester laughed and gave me a quick hug and then left.

Ranger hooked an arm around my waist and said, "Babe, I know you probably won't like this, but I think it would be a good idea for you to call in sick and stay in the building for a few days until we can resolve this."

I thought about this for a minute. I wasn't really surprised that Ranger was bringing this up, but I wasn't particularly excited about spending the foreseeable future locked in his secure building either. I said, "I'm okay with calling in to work for a few days. I'll call Cheryl and whoever will act in Derek's place tonight and let them know what's going on. I don't really want to be stuck in the building, though. Plus, I told Cal that I would go with him to start the next phase of his treatment tonight."

Ranger nodded and said, "Cal talked to me about that, but I think he wants to do something here. He came and asked my permission to use the gun range tonight."

I nodded and thought that that was probably a really good idea. It would be loud and unsettling, but he would be in a completely safe place. It was a good plan.

I replied, "That sounds good. I know you're just trying to keep me safe, but I can't hide out here forever. Plus, if I have a few days off, there are things I'd like to do."

Ranger squeezed my waist a little tighter and said, "How about we compromise and you take two men with you instead of just one?"

I smiled and said, "I'm okay with that, but you can't keep pulling your men away from their real work to babysit me. Plus, I'm sure it's pretty boring for them."

Ranger smiled and said, "Boring? Lester's gotten at least 20 phone numbers from women at the VA. His little black book is about to explode. He said he's never gotten so much action just standing in one place before."

I laughed and hugged him tightly to me, enjoying the feel and smell of him. When I stepped back, he put his finger under my chin and tilted my head up for a lingering, tongue filled kiss that left me wanting more, a lot more.

Ranger put his forehead against mine and said, "Cal said he wouldn't call you until about 8:00. That gives us 3 ½ hours. I think we should make the most productive use of our time, don't you?"

I consider myself to be a fairly intelligent woman, but something about Ranger's close proximity and kisses never failed to make me feel like I couldn't form words. I settled for a pitiful, "Uh-huh" and he took my hand to lead me upstairs.

When we entered the apartment, Ranger took my bag off my shoulder and set it and his keys on the stand by the door. He put his hands on each side of my face and pulled me to him, whispering, and "I missed you today, Babe." I felt my pulse quicken as he leaned down and captured my mouth, easing his tongue in and slowly stroking me. I felt myself being walked forward and realized we were standing in front of the sofa.

Ranger broke the kiss to undress me, slowly unbuttoning my blouse. I started on my pants while he did that, ready to get the show on the road. He grabbed my hands gently and said, "Have a little patience. I'm in the mood to take my time."

And take his time he did. He lowered his mouth to first one nipple and then the other, torturing me until my knees got weak and he lowered me to the sofa. He sat on the floor, next to me, continuing to tease my nipples with his tongue, one hand stroking down my body until he found me wet and waiting for him. He stroked gently up and down my folds before slipping one, then two fingers inside me while rubbing his thumb in a circle over my clit. He alternated his mouth between my nipples, my neck and my mouth, bringing me to a mind blowing orgasm before I even knew that I was close. He eased his movements while I came down from my high and I opened my eyes to find his face a few inches from mine. He was watching me with a tender, loving expression on his face that made my heart burn. God, I loved this man.

I raised my hands to touch his face and said, "Make love to me."

Ranger stood and removed his clothes and settled on top of me on the sofa. He entered me slowly, causing me to arch against him, seeking more. When he wasn't kissing me, his eyes were open, watching me as if memorizing my face. He rocked against me slowly and steadily, building me to another orgasm as the additional pressure from his body rubbed against my clit, creating a delicious friction. Most of our love making had been lustful and frantic, but this was something else entirely. This was passionate, but slow and easy and loving. It was so much more than I had ever felt before.

Ranger kept up the slower pace, only speeding up slightly when my orgasm was near. My orgasm set his off and as I felt my body clamp down onto him, he spilled inside me, his face showing an expression of ecstasy. My orgasm was so strong I felt tears sting my eyes and then spill down my cheeks. Ranger understood the moment and pressed soft kisses along my face as he muttered soft words in Spanish. He eased himself off of me and positioned himself behind me on the sofa, pulling my body into his and wrapping his arms around me.

We lay there together, Ranger holding me and stroking my body. We talked softly about nothing in particular and the intimacy of the moment had me battling myself about saying those three important words. I knew without a doubt that I was in love with him, but my previous bad relationships had me holding back. I promised myself that I would tell him soon.

We lay there until my stomach let out an extremely loud and embarrassing growl. Ranger laughed and we got up, me to shower and him to call Ella for dinner.

By the time I made it out of the shower dinner was ready and waiting. We sat in the floor at the coffee table and ate and watched Monday Night Football. Ranger didn't normally watch much television, but he seemed to enjoy the game.

As promised, Cal called at 8:00 and I agreed to meet him in the gun range. Ranger gave me a quick peck on the lips and told me he would be working in his office on the fifth floor and to call if Cal or I needed anything.

Cal was waiting for me in the range and we sat down on a bench to talk. Cal apparently felt the need to explain his reasoning for choosing the gun range tonight. "I wanted to come here because hearing the gun shots has been hard for me and it's a part of my job that I can't get away from. All RangeMan employees are required to spend a certain number of hours in the range every week. We also never know when we may be called upon to use our weapons, so it's important to me to be more comfortable with the sights and sounds of gunfire."

I nodded and said, "I understand and I think you made a good decision to do this here. How do you want to do this?"

Cal said, "Well, I thought I would just shoot for a while and see how it feels. Just in case there's a problem, I'd feel more comfortable if you'd stay back here behind me."

I felt more comfortable back here, too, so I didn't complain. Cal gave me a set of ear muffles and I sat on the bench while he readied a few guns and approached the range partition. I watched as he sent the paper target out as far as it would go. He took a deep breath and shot. At the first shot, Cal flinched visibly. He turned to look at me and I gave him an encouraging nod and smile. He then shot several more times, flinching a little less with each shot. I was proud of him for continuing even though the noise obviously bothered him.

He stopped, drew the paper target back to him and examined his shots, sent a new target out and selected a new gun and did it all over again. He seemed to loosen up and flinch less as time went on and by the end of the 30 minutes he had a smile on his face and looked much more relaxed.

When he was done, he walked back to me, put his guns away and took off his ear muffles and sat down with me. He was smiling from ear to ear and looked like a little boy at Christmas. I couldn't help but smile back at him and say, "You've missed that, haven't you?"

Cal said, "You have no idea. I've always loved guns and I've always been a very good shot. I felt very uncomfortable at first, but eventually I stopped flinching and was able to breathe through each shot, which they teach us to do anyway."

I said, "You did a great job of controlling your reactions and continuing with the exercise. I'm very proud of you."

Cal grinned like a prized student and he told me about going to lunch with his friend and how pleased he was that it went well.

"Hal and I just went out for pizza, but it was so nice to do something normal again. He doesn't seem to hold any grudge against me for what happened, either, and that made me feel a lot better." He said.

Cal seemed to be in a talking mood, so we sat there talking for a while.

"The medicine isn't making me as groggy anymore and I like that so much better. I'm sleeping better, but still not like I was before these problems started."

I explained, "It does take time, but you're doing great."

He continued, "I really like Dr. Matthews and he's already given me my assignment for tomorrow."

I smiled and said, "Let me guess, he gave you the Wal-Mart homework?"

Cal laughed and said, "Yeah, he said he did this a lot. He told me that almost everyone, no matter what the cause of their PTSD had a problem with Wal-Mart. After he explained it, I understood better. It's noisy, both with equipment and people, it's jam packed and it's somewhere everyone just wants to get out of as fast as they can."

I nodded and said, "He's right, too. I hate going to Wal-Mart."

Cal said, "So does that mean you won't go with me tomorrow?" He looked so nervous that I reassured him right away. "Of course I'm going with you!" I did want to explain my current situation, though. "I got a threatening text from Michael today. Ranger may want to send an extra man with us if that's okay."

Cal nodded and said, "That's fine with me. I'm so sorry we haven't been able to catch him yet. I've been following his credit card transactions, though, and it's just a matter of time. He's not slick enough to evade us for long and Ranger really wants to find him."

We stood and I gave Cal a small hug and promised to see him tomorrow at noon, since we would both be off work. I headed back up to Ranger's office, feeling happy that I was able to help Cal and even happier that I would be spending the night next to Ranger.

A/N: This story only has a few chapters left. Thank you all so much for sticking with me through this. After this story is complete, I planned to do a one-shot from Cal's POV a year down the road. I wasn't sure if there would be much interest in this, as S/R wouldn't be major players. Let me know what you all think. As always, please review!


	24. Chapter 24

Disclaimer: The primary characters in this story belong to Janet Evanovich. I make no money for this work. While I work in health care, the names and places detailed in this story are not based on specific persons or events.

A/N: Special thanks to FairTaxGirl (Linda) and Margaret Fowler for reviewing this for me. I don't know what I would do without you two!

_Previously:_

_We stood and I gave Cal a small hug and promised to see him tomorrow at noon, since we would both be off work. I headed back up to Ranger's office, feeling happy that I was able to help Cal and even happier that I would be spending the night next to Ranger._

Control Chapter 24

Even though I wasn't working today, I got up to have breakfast with Ranger, happy to have some unhurried time with him. As I was eating, I could tell that Ranger was watching me. I looked up at him and said, "What's up?"

He gave me an almost smile and said, "Since you have a three day weekend next week, I thought we might take a quick trip."

"Really?" I asked. "That sounds wonderful! Where do you want to go?"

Ranger looked pleased at my enthusiasm. "I'd like to take you to Miami. I'd also like you to meet my daughter while we're there. We could take her out to dinner or lunch one day."

I could feel my enthusiasm pale a little. I'd love to meet his daughter and it thrilled me that he wanted me to meet her, but I still couldn't help but think, 'What if she doesn't like me?'

I took another bite of breakfast, trying to buy myself some time. "Um, are you sure you want me to meet your daughter?"

Ranger put his fork down and concentrated completely on me, leaving me feeling like I was in a spotlight. "Babe, if I'm pushing or if you don't want to meet Julie yet, just tell me."

I shook my head and said, "It's not that. I'd love to meet her. I'm just afraid she won't like me."

Ranger shook his head at me and said "If you're thinking that Julie may have some delusion about her mother and I getting back together, don't worry about it. She doesn't remember Rachel and I being married. She's very close to her stepfather and is happy with her family life. I've always been more of an uncle to her, but in the past few years, I've tried to build a better relationship with her. Julie is a good kid. She's sweet and kind and a ball of energy."

I smiled and said, "I have no doubt that she's a wonderful girl, it's just that little girls tend to want their dad's all to themselves, especially when they don't see them often. She may feel like I'm trespassing on her time with you."

Ranger shook his head and said, "Julie isn't very comfortable with me because I'm not very comfortable with her. She loves me and knows that I love her, but we don't have enough history together for her to feel jealous of my time with you. I think she'll feel more comfortable with you being there. I don't have a lot in common with teenage girls."

I must've still looked unsure about the trip because Ranger took my hand and tugged me over to sit on his lap. He took my hand and gave it a gentle kiss and said, "Babe, Julie will love you because I love you."

I looked into his eyes and wanted to cry, then laugh and then drag his naked body back into the bedroom and have my way with him. I settled for whispering, "I love you too, Ranger." Ranger smiled and pulled me to him for a soul-searing kiss. Unfortunately, we were interrupted by a knock at the door. I sighed and Ranger said, "Maybe I should start putting a white towel on the outside of the door so there are no more knocks at inopportune times."

I giggled and slid off his lap. Ranger took a moment to straighten his clothes and said, "That's Tank. We're looking for Michael today. What are your plans?"

I said, "Just going to Wal-Mart with Cal. I may see if he wants to have lunch or something first."

Ranger nodded and said, "Remember to keep your panic button in your pocket. Give me a call when you head out and I might be able to join you."

"Sounds good." I said, giving him a goodbye kiss.

After Ranger left, I did a little, okay, a big happy dance. He loves me. I love him. We both finally said it. It was amazing how uncomplicated it had been. I couldn't stop the smile on my face as I got myself ready for the day.

I called Lula and told her about the trip. She was excited for me and we agreed to go shopping in a few days so I could find a few sundresses and some hot heels. I also wanted to find something for Julie. I would have to talk to Ranger about what Julie was interested in. Thirteen is a tough age to buy for. They're too old for toys, but too young for so many other things.

I called and talked to my mom and grandma, but didn't tell them about the trip yet. Grandma told me that mom had secretly taken out a subscription for two bridal magazines and was researching Cuban wedding customs online. I knew that she couldn't hold out for long.

I called Cheryl and she said everything was going well on the unit. Another social worker had been assigned to the unit for the time I was out, so at least I wouldn't come back to a pile of work that hadn't been done. Cheryl and the rest of the staff were worried about me, because of Michael. I assured her that Ranger was taking very good care of me. Cheryl said, "I bet" before she had to hang up to deal with an emergency.

Cal called about noon and we decided to have lunch before tackling Wal-Mart. I called Ranger and he said he and Tank would meet us at a little Chinese place. Ranger and Tank were there waiting for us in the parking lot when Cal and I drove up. Ranger opened my door and slid an arm around my shoulders as we walked inside. I noticed that he was watching everyone around us a little more than usual.

When we were seated, I leaned over and asked him if something was wrong. He said, "Just a feeling, Babe. I think Michael's going to try something today." Ranger looked over at Cal and said, "I know what you and Stephanie are doing today is personal, but I'd feel a lot better if Tank and I shadowed you. We'll stay out of your way and won't eavesdrop."

Cal nodded and said, "I understand and it's no problem, but if you've got a hunch, maybe we should just put this off until another day."

Everyone looked at me and I said, "I don't want to change our plans. Plus, if Michael's going to come after me, I'd rather just get it over with. I'm tired of waiting around to see what he's going to do."

Ranger looked at me for a moment and said, "As much as it pains me for you to be in danger, you're right about getting it over with. This way, we can keep more in control of the situation. The longer this goes on, the more unstable he's likely to be."

We all nodded and though my heart was pounding, I ate my Chinese like a good girl and listened to Tank, Ranger and Cal reminisce about their time in the military. Tank and Ranger had served together for many years and didn't need to seem to need words to communicate. I watched them as they gave each other seemingly insignificant looks, but I had a feeling they were formulating a plan for catching Michael.

When we finished eating, Ranger pulled me aside and said, "You and Cal are going to go ahead with your plans. I'll be around and I'll keep you in sight at all times. I'm going to have a few other teams circling outside as well."

I said, "Okay, but do you really feel like all this is necessary?"

Ranger said, "Babe, I never ignore a gut feeling and I've got a bad feeling about today. Please be careful and keep your panic button in your pocket and don't leave Cal's side."

I nodded and said, "You got it." We exchanged a quick kiss and a lingering look and he helped me into Cal's truck and was gone.

I looked over at Cal and said, "I know that we've got this other stuff happening, but this trip is for you and I don't want us to forget that."

Cal smiled and said, "Thanks, Stephanie, but I'm hoping we can solve your problem today, too."

I smiled back and grasped his hand for a moment. He saw the worry in my face and said, "I won't let anything happen to you."

"I know, Cal. I'm just not used to this kind of thing." I explained. I had no doubt that Cal would protect me if the need arose. I sincerely hoped he wouldn't have a need to protect me. He'd already saved me once and he needed to focus on his treatment, not my problems.

We drove the rest of the way in silence. When he parked at the store, I looked over at him and said, "Do you have a particular way you want to do this?"

Cal shrugged and said, "Dr. Matthews just told me I had to remain in the store, no matter how I felt for a minimum of 30 minutes. He said if I started feeling anxious, I should do the self-talk thing, about how this is a safe location and nothing here can hurt me, etc. He also said I should do deep-breathing, or talk to you if it gets to be too much."

I nodded and said, "It'll be fine. I'll be right there with you and if you start feeling too anxious let me know and we'll figure it out."

We got out of the truck and started walking in. I noticed that Cal scanned the environment in much the same way Ranger did. Ranger was probably a little less obvious about it, but he also isn't in recovery.

When we walked through the sliding doors, we were immediately assaulted with the sounds and constant movement of the store. I wasn't a fan of overly crowded stores either, but I knew it had to be hell on Cal. I looked up at him and asked what section he'd like to start in.

Cal said, "What about the hunting section?"

I rolled my eyes and said, "No, there's not enough activity there. That's just a place to hide. Let's go to electronics."

Cal tried to hide his smile and give me a dirty look, saying, "Remind me again why I brought you?"

I laughed and said, "It's my sparkling personality!" I put my arm through his and we made our way towards the back of the store.

Cal was doing very well, until we were about half-way through the store and a very rude, very large man bumped into him and did not even look back, much less say excuse me. I felt Cal tense up beside me and he turned to stare after the man. I shook my head and whispered, "Shake it off. This is why we're here." He nodded and after about 5 more steps, the woman behind us apparently thought we weren't moving fast enough and clipped me in the back of my ankle with her grocery cart. I flipped around and said, quite loudly, "Watch where the hell you're going, lady." She took off down the next aisle and Cal looked down at me. Realizing what I'd done, I tried to give him an innocent smile. He said, with a completely straight face, "Shake it off. This is why we're here."

I rolled my eyes at him and said, "Smartass." Cal apparently thought I was funny because he laughed until he had tears forming in his eyes. He even pointed at me and said, "You should have seen the look on your face! I thought you were going to take that grocery cart and beat her with it!" I knew it was funny, but damn, of all the times I couldn't control my temper.

Cal and I had spent so much time together recently that he was able to tell what I was thinking. He eventually sobered and said, "Don't worry about it. Your temper and attitude make you more human."

I grinned and said, "In that case, we need to watch hockey together sometime."

We walked into the electronics section and as usual, it was crowded and noisy. We browsed for a while, looking at televisions, laptops, movies and games. Cal and I separated, but kept each other in sight. I looked at the iPods, thinking of Ranger's daughter and what she might like. I would have to ask him about it. If she was anything like Ranger, she probably already had every electronic device known to man.

I looked over at Cal and he was standing still, with his head down, looking tense. I walked over to him, but refrained from touching him. I asked in a low voice, "Are you okay?" Cal shook his head and I could see the tension in his shoulders. He was doing his deep breathing, but it didn't seem to be helping, so I decided to prod him along a little bit.

"Where are we?" I asked.

In his current state, it took Cal a moment to catch on, but he eventually realized what I was doing and said, "I'm in Wal-Mart in Trenton, New Jersey."

"And are you in danger?" I continued.

Cal responded, "No, I'm not in danger. I'm having a panic attack."

I smiled at his responses. "You're right, Cal. You're having a panic attack, but you are not in any immediate danger. There is no one here who will hurt you. They may annoy you, but there's no imminent threat."

Cal nodded and I said, "You know what else?" He shook his head and I said, "You're thirty minutes are up. We've been here for almost an hour. You did a great job."

Cal looked up at me then and I think just the knowledge that he had done twice the amount of time he was assigned to do helped pull him out of the panic attack. He smiled at me raised his eyebrows as if to say, "Really? An hour?"

I laughed and said, "Yep, an hour. How about we get out of here and treat ourselves to some ice cream?"

Cal laughed and said, "It sounds good to me, just keep it to yourself. Santos will be too jealous if he finds out I had ice cream with you."

I laughed and said, "That's okay. He promised me a box of donuts and I plan to collect soon."

When we were about to walk out the doors, Cal grabbed me by the elbow and pulled me back. I looked up at him, surprised. "What's wrong?" I asked.

Cal was holding his cell phone and said, "I've got a text from Ranger saying 'Michael spotted. Stay alert.'"

"Okay." I said. "Does that mean we need to stay inside?"

Cal shook his head. "They haven't seen anything yet, or they would've already dealt with it. If you're up to it, we'll walk outside and try to draw him out." I hesitated for a moment and Cal said, "Stephanie, you don't have to do this. We'll block off the exits and go car by car if we have to. Ranger won't push you to do this."

I shook my head and said, "I know he won't push me, but I need to do this. Michael's just going to keep going further and further. I want to get him today if we can."

Cal gave me a small smile and said, "You stay right beside me all the way to the vehicle. Look straight ahead and focus on the truck. Ranger, Tank and a few of the other guys are out there somewhere and they are watching everything. You'll be perfectly safe."

I nodded and took Cal's hand, and he pulled me tight against his side. His other hand rested in his jacket pocket, where I knew he had a gun. We started walking slowly and built up to a regular pace. I could hear my heart pounding in my ears, but Cal was perfectly calm.

We had parked on the side of the building, rather than in the front, so we didn't pass one other person. When we were about 10 feet from the truck, Michael stepped out from behind a dumpster. He had a gun in his hand, pointed at me. Cal moved to step in front of me and Michael said, "Don't move."

Cal stilled immediately, but didn't remove his hand from his jacket. Michael was too focused on me to notice. He looked terrible. His clothes were dirty and he looked like he hadn't shaved in days. He looked crazy as hell and I wondered why I had never seen that when we were dating.

Michael stepped a little closer and I had to fight to keep myself from backing up. "You've ruined my fucking life." He said to me. "I wish I'd never fucking met you. Because of you, I've got police and maniacs in black looking for me everywhere I go. I can't go home and I can't go to work. It's all your fault, Bitch!"

Michael was yelling by this point and I didn't really know what else to do, so I said, "I'm sorry I've messed things up for you. It was a mistake."

Michael was literally starting to foam at the mouth. "Sorry? You're sorry? What the hell do you think your apology will do for me? You filed a fucking restraining order on me! You told everyone horrible things about me. People think I'm crazy now!"

It was hard as hell not to roll my eyes at that last part. "Michael, you're not crazy. I'll find a way to make this up to you."

He gave me an evil smile and said, "You're right that you'll make this up to me. You see, I figure since you've ruined my life, I'll just repay the favor. You're going with me and I'll make sure you make amends."

I was starting to shake. I could feel Cal starting to move his hand minutely. In the next second a car door slammed and Michael was startled enough to look over to the right towards the sound. In that instant, Cal had his gun shoved under Michael's jaw. But he wasn't the only one. Ranger was behind Michael with a gun to the back of his head.

Michael, displaying just how crazy he really was, said, "Don't think you can pull a fucking gun on me!" I'm sure he would've gone on and on, but Ranger brought the butt of his gun down onto Michael's head and he was out cold on the pavement. Ranger kept his gun trained on Michael until Cal cuffed him. He then put his gun away, grabbed me and pulled me into his arms.

"Babe."

A/N: Please remember that Prolonged Exposure Therapy wouldn't move this quickly in the real world. Thanks again to all those who read and review. I appreciate it more than you know! If you haven't gotten a personal response from me, it's only because you're an anonymous reviewer or your PM's are turned off. I hope you enjoy the chapter.


	25. Chapter 25

Disclaimer: The primary characters in this story belong to Janet Evanovich. I make no money for this work. While I work in health care, the names and places detailed in this story are not based on specific persons or events.

A/N: Special thanks to FairTaxGirl (Linda) and Margaret Fowler for reviewing this for me. You have both been so wonderful about reading the chapters for me and making suggestions. I don't know what I would do without you two!

_Previously:_

_Michael, displaying just how crazy he really was, said, "Don't think you can pull a fucking gun on me!" I'm sure he would've gone on and on, but Ranger brought the butt of his gun down onto Michael's head and he was out cold on the pavement. Ranger kept his gun trained on Michael until Cal cuffed him. He then put his gun away, grabbed me and pulled me into his arms. _

"_Babe."_

Control Chapter 25

3 months later…

I walked out of the courtroom arm and arm with Cal and Ranger, with Tank and Lester following closely. Today was Michael's sentencing and I think we all felt it had gone as well as we could expect. Michael had been sentenced to 5 years for assault and battery, harassment and stalking charges. We all knew that we'd be lucky if he served 2 years, but the consolation was that for the next month he would be undergoing psychiatric testing and observation at a state facility for the criminally insane. I amused myself for a while with the thought of a Tank-sized man making Michael his bitch. It was probably pretty disturbing as fantasies go, but my vengeful streak had kicked in and I just couldn't help myself. Mostly, I was just glad I wouldn't have to worry about Michael anymore.

None of us had heard any more about Derek since he was arrested. However, we had all been assured that he would not be returning to federal service. Our new supervisor, Gloria, was a transfer from another VA and was not influenced by the "good old boys club" that seems to dominate some bureaucracy's. She is driven and expects results, but so far has proven herself to be both competent and fair. I can't ask for more than that.

Cal was doing amazingly well. The situation with Michael and his response seemed to increase his confidence. He continued his therapy with Dr. Matthews and was slowly returning to all of his previous duties. Cal and I had also become very good friends. Helping each other had formed a bond between us and we met for lunch at least once a week. Cal was also my standing date to hockey games because Ranger didn't particularly care for the sport.

Tank and Lula still go out from time to time, but they aren't exclusive and they both seem happy with the arrangement. Tank takes long weekends when they have time planned. At the end of one of their weekends, when Tank returned home, Lester and Bobby had broken into his apartment and set up a hospital bed with an IV pole and blood pressure cuff attached. They also made a gift basket of Ensure and Gatorade. I was afraid Tank might kill Lester and Bobby, but he downed a Gatorade, lay down on the bed and went to sleep. They got pictures. Tank doesn't know about the pictures yet, but I'm sure there will be pain involved when he finds out.

We started the PTSD groups at RangeMan about a month ago. The veterans absolutely loved the building and amenities. While I had told Ranger that the only refreshment needed was coffee, Ella had apparently decided otherwise and provided monstrous sandwiches and homemade desserts. As time went on, Ella got a little fancier and invited the group to come an hour earlier for "real food." On these occasions, she made roast or pasta or huge pots of soup. Many of these men didn't have family in the area and rarely got a home cooked meal. I started getting comments from the veterans that they felt like they had found a second home. Ranger and I talked about it and decided to have Thanksgiving together with the group members and anyone they wanted to bring along. It ended up being a huge event with over 50 veterans attending. It was so big that we had to move tables and chairs into the gym to accommodate everyone. It was a wonderful sight that these men, some of whom had had no support or feeling of family for so long were all together enjoying the holiday.

A few days after Michael was caught, Ranger and I went to Miami. I was terribly nervous about meeting Julie, but she was so sweet and open and funny, that we ended up feeling like we'd known each other forever. I brought her an iPod Touch and she squealed and hugged me. We spent an afternoon together, just the three of us and it was amazing. I had never imagined having such a good time with a man and his child. Ranger and Julie were a little formal with each other, but I think having someone else around helped loosen him up, too.

I had been extremely apprehensive about meeting Ranger's ex-wife, Rachel. I couldn't have been more wrong. Rachel and her husband, Ron, were very welcoming. Rachel even took me aside when we brought Julie home and told me that she had never seen Ranger look happier. I thought it was a very nice thing for her to say and told her so. She and I have remained in contact and have become something resembling friends.

After we returned from Miami, Ranger and I talked and I told him that since everything had progressed so fast with us, I wanted us to have some "normal" time. I returned to my apartment and I was fully prepared to miss spending every night with Ranger, but it never happened. If Ranger had to work one evening, he simply came to my apartment when he was finished and we slept there. If we had been out together, we usually went to his place.

Finally, we talked and figured out that it didn't make much sense to continue to live separately when we were always together. It was a quick, almost business-like decision that left me feeling a bit of whiplash. When I looked a little unsure, Ranger bit the bullet and said, "Babe, I want you there beside me every night. It's not just a matter of convenience." In a few weeks, at the beginning of the year, my lease will be up and I am moving into Ranger's apartment.

Besides our Miami trip, we've also been on short vacations to Vail, the Bahamas and Boston. I think since he had never been in a real relationship before, Ranger somehow thought this was normal for couples. I had no intention of telling him that the only vacation I'd had with a boyfriend was a drunken Spring Break in Panama City when I was in college.

Christmas is next week and we were both thrilled that Rachel agreed to let Julie spend the holiday with us. Ranger has never spent Christmas with his daughter before. His family is also thrilled and they seem to think I'm the reason for the change and have practically adopted me. We'll spend Christmas Eve with his family and have Christmas morning with just the three of us. Then we'll have Christmas dinner with my family. I'm looking forward to our time with Julie. Even though Ranger and I are not married, I have a growing love for Julie and already feel like she's part of my family. Our time with her made me wish for things that I had never wished for before. Ranger and I had not discussed marriage, but we did discuss our commitment to each other.

The night after the end of the trial and sentencing, after Ella had made a magnificent celebratory dinner, Ranger and I sat in front of the fire with glasses of wine. Michael was gone, my stomach was full and I was leaning on a sexy, handsome man that I was totally in love with. I sighed and looked up at Ranger and said, "You know you're never getting rid of me now, right?"

Before he pulled me in for a kiss, Ranger gave me a hint of a smile and said, "Be careful what you wish for, Babe."

A/N: Thank you all so much for sticking with me for this story. The reviews and PM's I've gotten have meant so much to me. I'll be back in a few days with Cal's one-shot, which will be a separate story titled "In Control."


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